Grab unveils shuttle bus service in Singapore

It is in partnership with GovTech.

Ride-hailing platform Grab launched GrabShuttle, a beta shuttle bus service mobile application to move larger groups of individual commuters from door to door.

The new service is in collaboration with Government Technology Agency of Singapore, which provided Beeline, an open smart mobility platform to enable data-driven shuttle bus services.

Head of Grab Singapore Lim Kell Jay said GrabShuttle is a public transport connector that links residential estates to MRT stations, business centres and underserved locations like army camps, schools, industrial estates.

"This is Grab’s third new transport service launched in the last three months and is part of Grab’s car-lite agenda to supplement Singapore’s public transport network with affordable and adaptable shared transportation services. Priced between public transport and carpooling services, GrabShuttle offers consumers who want greater speed and accessibility in their daily commute, while keeping within a budget,” he said.

Using Beeline’s open technology platform, the GrabShuttle app enables commuters to book and pay for seats using their credit cards and track their buses in real-time on the day of the ride. Commuters can also suggest and crowd-start new routes in the GrabShuttle app or via Grab’s website. Suggestions from the public along with data from the beta trial and Beeline will allow Grab and its partnering bus operator to model, price and launch new bus routes based on changing commuter demand.

Director of the Data Science Division under GovTech’s Government Digital Services Liu Feng Yuan said Beeline is built around the idea of empowering citizens to play a part in improving their commuting experience while equipping private bus operators with data analytics tools for more efficient fleet management and operations.

"Designed on an open API architecture, private transport providers and tech start-ups can easily integrate their services with Beeline’s open mobility marketplace to offer more convenient transportation options for commuters. We look forward to more of such industry partnerships to improve the daily commute of people," he noted.

He furthered, “Beeline has a ready technology platform for Grab to test the GrabShuttle service allowing us to study and improve the country’s public and private transportation landscape without having to develop the beta service on our app. We commend GovTech’s openness to collaboration and co-innovation and are confident that GrabShuttle will bring the benefits of shared transportation services to more commuters."

Commuters can download the GrabShuttle app from Google Play and the App Store today and pre-book a seat on one of the fifteen routes below:

Morning routes
1. Yishun/ Sembawang/ Admiralty/ Woodlands to Hwa Chong Junior College/ Nanyang Girls High School/ National Junior College
2. Pioneer MRT to Civil Defence Academy/ Lim Chu Kang Camps 1,2/ Murai Camp/ Sungei Gedong Camp
3. Jurong West to Singapore General Hospital
4. Bukit Batok/ Bukit Timah to CBD/ Suntec City
5. Choa Chu Kang/ Bukit Panjang to CBD/ Suntec City
6. Punggol/ Seng Kang to CBD/ Suntec City
7. Punggol/ Seng Kang to Changi Business Park/ Singapore University of Technology and Design
8. Choa Chu Kang/ Bukit Panjang to Midview City
9. Tampines to Midview City

Evening routes
10. CBD /Suntec City to Choa Chu Kang/ Bukit Panjang
11. Changi Business Park/ Singapore University of Technology and Design to Punggol/ Seng Kang
12. MapleTree Business City/ Alexandra Hospital to Woodlands/ Admiralty
13. CBD/ Suntec City to Punggol/ Seng Kang
14. Changi Business Park/ Singapore University of Technology and Design to Woodlands/ Admiralty/ Sembawang
15. MapleTree Business City/ Alexandra Hospital to Bukit Panjang