Time is money: Which ride-hailing app in S’pore will win the test in terms of price and speed?

As the ride-hailing industry continues to evolve, the landscape in Singapore has become increasingly diverse. 

Last month, we conducted a fare comparison test featuring Geolah, a new player in the market, and concluded that they offer the cheapest fares during peak/high demand periods. However, our Facebook readers have alerted us of their difficulties to secure a ride on Geolah’s platform. 

As such, Vulcan Post has decided to carry out a new test to assess both fares and app reliability of ride-hailing platforms in Singapore, taking into account the ease of getting a driver and wait times from booking to car arrival this time.

In order to conduct a comprehensive comparison, we booked rides on the five major ride-hailing apps in Singapore: Grab, Gojek, Ryde, TADA, and CDG Zig (by ComfortDelGro). We also attempted booking rides with Geolah ourselves, but were unable to secure a driver on all occasions, and thus have excluded them from this round of evaluation.

For this particular test, we selected five different pick-up and drop-off locations across Singapore – based on the typical day of a commuter (gleaned from the personal insights and experiences of our team) – and booked rides to these destinations at different times of the day. 

(Disclaimer: Testing was done on a weekday, and fares shown exclude any prevailing promo codes/discounts. Driver details have also been omitted to protect their privacy.)

Before 9am: Morning commute to work

• Bukit Merah Central > One Marina Boulevard

Around 12pm: Lunch meeting at town

• One Marina Boulevard > ION Orchard

Around 3pm: Back to the office

• ION Orchard > One Marina Boulevard

7pm: Dinner date

• One Marina Boulevard > Marina Bay Sands

9pm: Post-dinner drinks

• Marina Bay Sands > Clarke Quay

After midnight: Home after a late night out

• Clarke Quay > Bukit Merah Central

What’s the verdict?

Top 3 competitive fares: Ryde, TADA, Grab (all within the same range, differing by a few cents)

Top 3 shortest wait times: Grab, followed by TADA, then CDG Zig

Fares

In two separate instances, Grab and Gojek offered the most competitive pricing, resulting in a tie.

Between the two, Gojek recorded a longer waiting time as it took two attempts to book a ride in both instances.

Meanwhile, TADA and Ryde recorded the cheapest fare for one instance, although the latter also recorded the longest waiting time in that particular instance. Despite this, Ryde had the lowest average fare among all the ride-hailing apps tested, followed closely by TADA and Grab.

Additionally, CDG Zig did not offer the cheapest fare for any instances.

It’s also worth noting that this test is conducted based on the standard ride option that selects the nearest car or taxi. That said, most of these platforms lack shared rides and carpooling options, unlike Grab (GrabShare and GrabHitch) and Ryde (RydePool and RydeFlash). As such, it is possible for users to get an even cheaper ride if they opt for these ride options. 

Wait times

When it comes to speed, Grab leads the pack – recording the shortest total waiting time for three out of six occasions – followed by Gojek, which achieved it twice. 

TADA and CDG Zig had the shortest waiting time once each, while Ryde did not emerge as the fastest in any instance. 

However, it’s interesting to note that while Gojek managed to clock in the fastest timings for two instances, it still recorded the longest average wait time at 8.33 minutes among all the apps.

Furthermore, when we take the number of booking attempts into consideration, it was baffling to note that booking a ride on Geolah proved to be virtually impossible. Most of the time, no cars were available and nearby drivers were scarce.

In one instance, the app was buggy and didn’t even display fare pricing or allow bookings, creating a negative and frustrating experience for users in need of a ride. 

While there is no clear-cut winner in terms of which ride-hailing app reigns in terms of price and speed, this test provides valuable insights into the ride-hailing industry in Singapore by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each platform. 

From this test, Grab seemed to strike a good balance between competitive pricing (on par with Ryde and TADA) and efficient service (shortest average wait time among all the apps tested).

Regardless, we acknowledge that the results of each platform may vary for individual users. Ultimately, it is up to the users to decide which ride-hailing app best suits their needs, be it prioritising price, speed, or other factors such as shared rides or carpooling options. 

With the range of options available in the market today, users can now make informed choices when they book their next ride. 

Featured Image Credit: Grab / Ryde / TADA / Gojek / ComfortDelGro