“We see an opportunity to decrease the number of private vehicles that travel to Jakarta, therefore we have established GrabHitch, where people can share their ride with people who have a similar route,” said Grab Indonesia managing director Ridzki Kramadibrata, as quoted by Antara news agency.

To use the service, users need to submit their ride details, such as pick-up and drop-off locations as well as the pick-up time. Furthermore, they can choose whether they want a same-gender driver and select the number of passengers. When GrabHitch finds a suitable driver, users confirm their ride with the driver. A GrabHitch ride can be scheduled from as little as 30 minutes to a week prior to the planned journey.

From The Weekender

Turning Jakarta’s overlooked sidewalks into common ground

In a city built for cars, sidewalks often feel like an afterthought. But revitalized stretches in Jakarta are proving that these in-between spaces have the power to shape not just how we move, but how we connect and belong.

Read on The Weekender

“A driver who has the same destination will pick you up, so it will only use one motorcycle,” Ridzki added. “This will reduce private vehicle usage.”

(Read also: Uber introduces upfront fares for uberMOTOR)

Unlike the same company’s GrabBike service, which can be difficult for customers to avail themselves of during rush hours due to high demand and limited supply, GrabHitch is marketed as the alternative for those very hours. The new service charges users Rp 20,000 (US$1.54) for a trip of up to 15 kilometers. Trips longer than that cost just Rp 1,000 per kilometer.

However, passengers will need to pay a cancellation fee if they fail to turn up. Payments can be done through the GrabPay service by credit card and or in cash. Currently, GrabHitch is only available in the Jabodetabek area. (asw)

Popular

Purbaya’s thankless task

At least nine killed, two missing in Bali's worst flooding in years

How New York turns millions of pounds of food waste into 'black gold'