Grab has announced that it has recently begun piloting a new carpooling service known as JustSave. As with most of its services, users can access it via the company’s mobile application, though keep in mind that the trial is only available in certain areas in the Klang Valley.
According to Grab, JustSave is a new economy service that allows passengers to access more affordable rides by carpooling with another passenger who is travelling along the same route as you at a given time. Unlike its existing ride-sharing offering, GrabShare, the newer service will only confirm a booking if the passengers’ requests are successfully matched. To clarify, Grab’s other carpooling option allows passengers to share their rides and the fare, while drive-partners get to earn more by picking multiple passengers that are going the same way.
JustSave’s introduction aims to provide platform users with a more affordable transport service type, with up to 20% savings when they share a ride. At the same time, it also serves as another option for potential improvement to earnings per minute for driver-partners by getting allocated and serving multiple bookings that take the same route or headed to destinations that are close by simultaneously.
Grab notes that only one passenger is allowed per booking, while each ride can only have a maximum of two bookings. If one passenger cancels while the driver-partner is on the way, they will have to pay a cancellation fee to compensate for the time and effort lost. The remaining passenger’s booking, on the other hand, will not be affected by this and will proceed as booked. Additionally, if there are no other matches when a JustSave’s booking is placed, the passenger will get a discounted JustGrab ride instead.
To access the new ride-sharing service, simply select the JustSave option when you book a ride through the Grab app. Once selected, the app will attempt to match your booking with other passengers for a set amount of time and then confirm the driver-partner’s details after.
For the time being, the new JustSave option is available at locations and times with high matching possibilities such as transit hubs and pick up points with high demand. These include areas surrounding KLCC, Mid Valley Bangsar, Sentral Brickfields, as well as One Utama and First Avenue.
(Source: Grab press release / official website)
