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AKARTA: To broaden the scope of its operations, Malaysian-born ride-sharing service Grab has partnered with several overseas ride-sharing apps to create an integrated service allowing Grab users to utilize the overseas’ apps services.

One of the partners is US-based ride-sharing application Lyft. A collaborative service will allow Grab users to use Lyft’s services in the US. Conversely, Lyft users travelling to countries where Grab operates will be able to hail any Grab service using the Lyft app, making the partnership span 30 cities across Southeast Asia.

The partnership will also include collaboration with fellow ride-sharing apps Ola in India and Didi Chixing in China, giving Grab a greater foothold in Asia.

“While Lyft has yet to begin operations in Indonesia, Indonesian Grab users will be able to hail Lyft vehicles in around 200 cities in the US. The same goes for travelers to India and China,” Grab Indonesia country director Ridzki Kramadibrata said on Friday during the celebration of Grab’s 4th anniversary. Grab originated as GrabTaxi in Malaysia in 2012.

Overall demand for Grab’s services in Indonesia — GrabTaxi, GrabCar, GrabExpress and GrabBike — was rising exponentially, Ridzki said, admitting however that demand for GrabTaxi had decreased due to users’ preference for GrabCar. — JP