There’s no doubt that Go-Jek, the motorcycle taxi hailing service, has become a phenomenon in Jakarta recently. Although it’s several years old, the launch of the Go-Jek smartphone app early this year has given the service a huge boost in popularity and visibility.
That sort of success, of course, invites competition. The newest player in Jakarta’s motorcycle taxi app market is GrabBike, which is offered by Malaysia-based tech company GrabTaxi.
One of the ways that GrabBike is trying to differentiate itself from the competition is by putting an emphasis on safety. Like GrabTaxi, GrabBike not only lets you see the location of your ojek on GPS, it also lets you share that information with friends so they can track your progress. Interestingly, the company also says it offers free insurance for passengers and drivers.
GrabBike is already operating in two cities in Vietnam, making Jakarta its third market. The service begins its beta trial in Jakarta today. The service currently only allows for pickups to be made in Kuningan and Setiabudi, but you can be dropped off anywhere in Jakarta.
Starting today and going until May 31, GrabBike is offering totally free rides to get new users to try the service.
To use GrabBike, you’ll first need to download the GrabTaxi app (available on iOS, Android and Blackberry). After you’ve activated your account, you just need to select the motorcycle icon from the list of vehicle options and then choose your pickup location and destination. You can check out the GrabTaxi website for the full terms and conditions of the free ride offer.
