Uber was one of the first companies that completely changed the way that taxi services work. Hailing a cab was simpler and often much cheaper than traditional taxi services. The idea inspired many others in different parts of the world and taxi hailing apps started becoming very popular. One of these apps would have been Grab which was first known as GrabTaxi. Whilst Uber is very predominant in the US, Grab is very popular in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Typically Grab is even more popular than Uber in these places and here are the reasons why.
- Price differences
Grab tends to be cheaper than Uber. This is a big reason why Grab is a lot more popular in certain cities than Uber is. When travelling short distances Grab rides are in most cases more inexpensive, especially if you are hailing a 6-seater or premium car. Grab also has set price fares which means that if your ride gets stuck in traffic your fare will not skyrocket, it will remain the same. When ordering a ride, Grab tells you exactly how much it will cost, and you will not have an “unpleasant” surprise at the end of your ride.
- Reliability
Due to the set prices that Grab has, it is more reliable. You never have to worry about how the duration of the ride is going to affect the price of the ride. As the final price is already in place, the drivers are interested in getting you to your destination as fast as possible, so that they can maximise their work hours. Due to the drivers not being interested in delaying the ride, Grab is a lot more reliable and it also saves the customer time and money.
- Payment
Another big benefit of Grab is that people can also pay in cash for the ride. Uber only allows their customers to pay by credit card, which everyone in Southeast Asian countries don’t have. Therefore, people who don’t have a credit card are automatically going to use Grab as it allows them to pay in cash. Even if you do pay by credit card you don’t have to worry because the transaction is safe and secure.
- Enjoyable
Most customers who have experience with Grab find it to be more enjoyable than an Uber or taxi ride. This is because you already know how much the ride will cost, the drivers are honest and will take you to your destination via the fastest route available and due to Grab’s set prices, you don’t have to be suspicious about scams. These three things combined allow you to just relax and enjoy the ride.
Grab is more popular than Uber because it is in most cases cheaper, more reliable and enjoyable. There are also different ways to pay, such as cash or card, which allows you to get a ride even when you have no cash or when you don’t own a credit card. The reliability, cost and experience that Grab provides is the reason that it is more popular than Uber in certain cities.
