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| "The idea of GrabTaxi stemmed from the taxi industry around the world and the pains it has brought to its society for both passengers and drivers." |
GrabTaxi aims to improve the taxi industry by introducing the GrabTaxi taxi application to both supply (taxi fleet and drivers) and demand (passenger) that will optimize the matching process between both. The vision is to revamp the taxi industry and to provide public transportation mobility for all by developing a sustainable solution for a very real social pain. By combining top talent and disruptive technologies and innovation, GrabTaxi wishes to create a high potential, self-sustainable social enterprise that will help bring Philippines to the forefront of the technological development wave.
2. What specific need or problem does it address?
The society constantly faces the many challenges that the local taxi industry has caused. Passengers face the same difficulties in getting a decent taxi driver especially during rush hours. The Philippine society sees the taxi industry as corrupt because of how fragmented taxis are. Passengers get confused as to which taxi operator to rely on and which phone number to call for taxi bookings, and therefore solidifying the lack of trust that is already prominent. There is, of course, the alarming safety issue that everyone hears about in news and tabloids about theft and robbery, and even worse, rape. Drivers are also victims of this industry as they consistently struggle to earn a living because of idle time in waiting in line or driving around looking out for passengers. The system that they are used to is no longer efficient as it burdens them with more expenses and diminishes their hope in a better living.
3. How did it start?
The idea of GrabTaxi stemmed from the taxi industry around the world and the pains it has brought to its society for both passengers and drivers. Anthony Tan, having studied in Harvard for his MBA, strongly believed in his school’s mission to create leaders who make a difference in other people’s lives, globally. He, who interestingly enough is the great grandson of an average taxi driver in Malaysia, envisioned revolutionizing the taxi industry. He was given an opportunity to do so when he joined the Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest in 2011 during his senior year, and placing second in the said contest, was given seed money for the business.
After his graduation, he and co-founder Tan Hooi Ling decided to execute the said business plan in Malaysia, calling it MyTeksi – the original name. It wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be – they’d pitch from door to door to taxi fleet owners, but most didn’t believe in the system. They finally got a chance to pitch to Datuk Aslah, owner of Comfort Cabs with a fleet of 500 taxis during that time. Datuk Aslah coincidentally recognized Anthony Tan as the grandson of the one person who supported him with his fleet when he first started in the industry. This being said, Anthony Tan and Hooi Ling finally secured their very first fleet with 40 taxis from Comfort.
Publicly launched in June 2012, MyTeksi has now several thousand taxis making lives easier for passengers of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, and Seremban; but Anthony Tan’s vision does not stop here as he plans to revolutionize the taxi industry not just in Malaysia. 2013 is the year of regional expansion with Philippines and to all of ASEAN with the branding of MyTeksi to a much stronger brand name – GrabTaxi.
4. How does it work?
GrabTaxi proposes a more efficient means of taxi booking and dispatching because of the following main features that GrabTaxi boasts:
a. Taxi bookings are only blasted out to drivers that are nearby the passengers
b. The taxi booking job is flashed to the driver’s phone with important information. He has the option to bid for the job with just a touch of a button.
c. The algorithm for whoever wins the bidding is always the closest interested driver to the passengers, again allowing faster pickups.
d. Once matched, both driver and passenger are given direct contacts to each other for better communication.
e. Passengers are able to see assigned driver’s location and important details such as name, plate number, photo, and phone number post-booking.
5. How to avail of this product service?Passengers just have to download the app on Play Store for Android (http://bit.ly/grabtaxi-Android) or App Store for iOS (http://bit.ly/grabtaxi-iOS).
5. How does it use social media in its marketing and operations?
Because GrabTaxi is a tech company, we rely heavily on the internet and the cloud, and therefore use social media for all our PR and marketing. We've created a society of GrabTaxi users and post announcements, share stories, and socialize with each other through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Social Media is also a huge part of the GrabTaxi app as we have a Share Your Ride feature. You can share your ride details - your location in the map with important driver details, to all your family and friends through SMS, Email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.
6. What makes it unique from other startups?
GrabTaxi is a startup that targets the real social pains of the society. We are a small company but our heart is big, and that is how, in only a little over a year, GrabTaxi has become regional and is expanding to 5 countries by the end of the year.
7. Who are the founders and what do they do?
As mentioned in number 3, Anthony Tan founded GrabTaxi in Harvard and is now the Founder, Director, and CEO of GrabTaxi Holdings not only in Philippines but also in ASEAN.
8. Any advice or message for other aspiring startupreneurs?
A lot of startups have so much potential but end up complicating things and building on all these extras. As a marketeer, I say study your market and what they want and need. That's when you can only build and focus on your product.
To know more about GrabTaxi Philippines, you may contact them using the information below.
Contact Person: Natasha Bautista
Email Address: support@grabtaxi.com, natasha.bautista@grabtaxi.com
Website: www.grabtaxi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/grabtaxiph
Twitter: @grabtaxiph
Instagram: @grabtaxiph
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Mark Delgado is a Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur (CBSME) who is passionate about consultative works, creative writing, events management, ideation, startupreneurship, strategic marketing and training. He founded Mediactiv8, a startup social media marketing company that advocates digital marketing education and entrepreneurship in the Philippines. To see more of his works, please check out www.facebook.com/Mediactiv8.
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