Earlier this month, Platform Apps Sdn Bhd said its new e-hailing service MyCar could fill the gap left behind by Uber’s departure from Malaysia.
It also addressed some of the concerns voiced by drivers when operating on the Grab and Uber platforms, including charging a significantly lower commission rate of 15% on drivers compared with Grab, which charges as high as 25%.
The app, which started with 2,000 drivers, is today securing some 5,000 rides daily — up from 40 rides previously — following its commercial launch on Feb 1.
The Malaysian Reserve quoted Platform Apps founder Mohd Noah Maideen as saying that some 10,000 Uber drivers had joined the e-hailing platform from February to April, and it would continue to bring in more drivers.
Other players that make up the growing industry include Decentralised Alternative Cabs Serving and Empowering Everyone, or Dacsee, Pick N Go Sdn Bhd and Riding Pink.
For those with a more refined taste, there is always Blacklane, a Berlin-based company which offers limousine services in Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Penang and Senai.
Blacklane CEO and co-founder Jens Wohltorf said the company was now part of the expanded traditional limousine market. It offers fares that are about half of what others charge.
“We beat competitors with high-quality vehicles and drivers at rates that are about half of those of legacy companies.
“We compared our rates in Kuala Lumpur and found that legacy companies charge 203% of Blacklane’s fares for a ride from KL Sentral to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport,” he told The Malaysian Reserve.
Wohltorf is confident the market would grow and said Blacklane had continued to register a record number of bookings and rides in Malaysia each month.
“The popularity of ride-hailing or ride-sharing services corresponds with our popularity, too. As people have more mobility options, they use a variety of services to meet their needs,” he said.
Blacklane offers professional drivers using one of three Mercedes-model vehicles.
It is aimed at travellers who have the time to enjoy the quality of the vehicles and service from chauffeurs.
“We focus on longer-distance rides, such as airport transfers and inter-city trips.
“Travellers choose Blacklane to and from city centres and use taxi and ride-hailing services for short, inner-city trips,” Wohltorf said.