Go-Jek confirms it's coming to Singapore in November

Since the middle of 2018, we’ve been waiting expectantly for Indonesian ride-hailing unicorn Go-Jek to launch their services in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines this September.

But September came and went, and no Go-Jek was in sight in Singapore.

Sources initially told TechCrunch that Go-Jek was set to launch here in October instead, a month later than promised.

However, Go-Jek has now come out to confirm that it has partnered 6 car rental companies in Singapore, in preparation for its arrival in November.

The ride-hailing firm may have been waiting for the result of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS)’s investigation into the Grab-Uber merger earlier this year.

After the CCCS found the merger of the two ride-hailing giants anti-competitive and fined both parties a total of $13 million, Go-Jek said the verdict removed a “very high barrier to entry”.

“We are now confident that Singapore will have a robust, efficient and competitive market, and that our arrival will have a significantly positive impact on the lives of people in Singapore,” Go-Jek said.

With CCCS’ ruling for non-exclusivity, Go-Jek will be free to recruit Grab’s current drivers, and private hire drivers can choose to drive on more than one app.

Although the Indonesian ride-hailing firm was previously said to be in talks for a partnership with ComfortDelGro, the latest update is that Go-Jek will be entering Singapore on its own.

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Vietnam was the first country they have since moved into, operating under the name of Go-Viet.

Go-Viet first started out with a partial launch covering 12 districts in Ho Chi Minh city in August, followed by a full launch in September that extended its services to Hanoi.

Go-Jek has so far started recruiting drivers in Thailand, and is seeking a permit to operate in the Philippines.

This article was first published in Vulcan Post.