SINGAPORE — For four months since its launch in Singapore, ride-hailing firm Gojek has been offering promotions to commuters. Now, it is enhancing welfare incentives for drivers in a bid to expand the pool and ensure passengers get timely rides.

On Wednesday (April 24), Gojek jointly announced a partnership with telecommunications firm Singtel to give its drivers discounts on mobile phone subscription plans and data perks.

These are the newest additions to its benefits package for some of its drivers that was launched earlier this month.

The package, which includes fuel rebates, insurance and medical teleconsultation services, has been rolled out to selected drivers since April 1 and will apply to all eligible drivers from June.

The latest discounts from Singtel for drivers are part of Gojek’s plans to perfect its ride-hailing service here, before launching into other services.

It is not aiming to be a super mobile application here just yet — specifically, it is focusing on delivering timelier and better quality rides for passengers, with greater service standards.

Speaking to TODAY a day before the announcement, Gojek Singapore’s general manager Lien Choong Luen said: “We have big goals and big ambitions, but really, first, let’s take care of our drivers. Let’s get some of these fundamentals right.”

While he remained tight-lipped on the potential services that Gojek could launch, such as food delivery services, Mr Lien said: “We’ve been incubating some ideas, but we really want to get this right, deliver good services for drivers so that they can take care of our riders.”

FREE DATA FOR APP

Under the firm’s partnership with Singtel, drivers who subscribe to any of the telco’s five “combo” plans will get data-free usage of the Gojek app.

The plans are priced from around S$30 to about S$240, and Gojek drivers will need to present their identity cards and driver app on their phones to sign up.

Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, chief executive officer of consumer Singapore at Singtel, said that this perk — which is the first of its kind for private-hire drivers in Singapore — could allow them to save between S$10 and S$20 a month.

When they take up the plans, Gojek drivers will also get a 20 per cent discount on the subscription, complimentary caller-ID service, and preferential rates on Singtel’s content and lifestyle services — including dining platform HungryGoWhere — when they re-contract their mobile services.

Mr Lien said that the newly announced telco benefits are likely to benefit more than half of its current pool of drivers, as the majority of them are Singtel subscribers. The data plans will help them minimise cost. 

“If you look at the largest cost (contributor) for drivers, one is the cost of renting the vehicle, the second would be petrol and the third surrounds the tools of the trade, which include mobile phones and data plans.”

This could mean that drivers “are not turning off their phones, not turning off their apps”, he added.

“While these are micro behaviours, when we add them up, that will aggregate and create a better service for consumers.

“Overall, if you look at what value really means, it is around timeliness, quality of rides and service standards.”

BENEFITS FOR SINGTEL’S CUSTOMERS

As Gojek’s partner, Singtel said that new and existing customers of its latest all-digital mobile plan, Gomo, will each receive a promotional code to get S$5 off their Gojek rides.

Other ride-hailing perks from Gojek will also be extended to all Singtel customers, with details to be announced later.

Asked if Gojek will continue to dish out other promotions, Mr Lien said: “Price is only one factor. If we can deliver (on timeliness and service standards), then it won’t just be a price comparison. That is clearly not sustainable in the long run. We want to be able to deliver on other service qualities.”

On Tuesday, Gojek’s rival Grab added new services to its app, allowing selected users to book movie tickets and hotels, plan trips and stream videos directly on the Grab app.

On how Gojek plans to tackle the competition, Mr Lien said that while “being able to offer Singaporeans choice is a good thing”, providing timely rides with good service standards are areas that Gojek wants to “double down on”.

These are just the “table stakes” to compete in a highly sophisticated transport market such as Singapore, he added.