Ride-hailing service inDrive aims to empower customers with choice
In a bid to introduce "choose your driver" concept, inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, has been accredited with the Department of Land Transport (DLT) to provide ride-hailing services in Thailand.
This accreditation marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing mission to empower customers with the freedom of choice and to make ride-hailing services more accessible in Thailand, the company said.
Unlike most ride-hailing apps, inDrive allows passengers to choose a driver who meets their preferences, such as driver’s rating, vehicle model and estimated arrival time.
Meanwhile, drivers can select any ride based on details such as fare, pick-up point and the ride destination. They can ignore requests if they deem it unsuitable without being penalised.
To ensure fairness, fares are determined based on the guidelines set by the DLT.
Currently, drivers can use inDrive to make money without being imposed the platform’s service fee. However, the company will implement a low service fee of 9.99% for each ride in the near future, allowing drivers to earn more, the company said.
The platform has also introduced a "Safety Pact" to improve safety awareness and practices. The pact calls for a three-sided alliance between passengers, drivers and inDrive to share responsibility for ensuring the safety of every single ride.
The pact, which can be found on inDrive’s website, outlines efforts by the company to provide a safe experience for users and a code of conduct that encourages mutual respect and secure practices when using the platform.
Roman Ermoshin, director of business development for Asia Pacific at inDrive, said the company believes that the power of negotiation plays an important role in society.
He pointed out that a high commission, high price during rush hours, and incentive offerings are not sustainable for ride-hailing service operations.
This is the biggest difference, as inDrive application allows passengers and drivers to have freedom of choice, he said, adding that the company expects the application to create a positive impact among more than 1 billion people worldwide.
He said accreditation from DLT enables the company to further develop services in line with the government strategy and support.
"This underscores our relentless commitment to the guidelines set by the DLT and to contribute towards developing the ride-hailing industry in Thailand by enabling choice and reliable service.”
Meanwhile, Varoontape Tanlamai, inDrive’s head of business development for Thailand, said the company has outlined a plan to ensure sustainable growth — keeping customer acquisition cost at low level, avoid charging a high take rate, and avoid forcing drivers to take orders.
He added that there was still room to boost growth despite high competition, due to growing digital trends and market size.
“Our platform delivers something that most ride-hailing services cannot provide," he said, "We bring more transparency, freedom of choice and fairness to our users."
inDrive is currently available in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya. The application can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store.
