Singapore Tourism Board implements project to improve their transportation offerings

Southeast Asia’s leading on-demand transportation and mobile payments platform, Grab, will now be collaborating with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) after a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU​​​​​) was signed.

The MOU will see Grab and STB collaborate on a wide range of initiatives and projects that will be rolled out gradually, all aimed at making their public transportation better suited for their users and visitors.

“Singapore is a great place to live, visit, work and play. At Grab, we are continuously working to make Singapore’s transport and payments systems seamless, convenient and accessible for all,” said Lim Kell Jay, Head of Grab Singapore. “Our collaboration with STB will help ensure that locals and visitors alike can enjoy the same quality experience as they explore our city.”

STB and Grab are planning to launch a joint study, analysing behavioural patterns and preferences regarding experiences and modes of transport to travel around Singapore. The results will help both organisations to modify their offerings to be more specific and attractive to the public transport user. Long-term effects from this should see the use of public transport increasing, therefore lessening congestion on the roads and improving air quality.

Another development, in line with the national intention to go cashless, is to introduce GrabPay; a secure mobile wallet solution meaning public transport users can travel without carrying cash or having to change their money to the local currency. Users can also redeem GrabRewards points through the Grab app to reveal extra experiences.

Facilitating easier access to travel information is also a step the companies want to make, therefore Grab will be sharing its booking APIs in phases through STB’s Tourism Information and Services Hub. This will allow selected businesses to use Grab’s various tools in their own digital platforms; enabling riders to better plan their travel routes with information on fares and waiting times easily accessible.

The signing of the MOU, and the varying projects planned demonstrate Singapore’s efforts in improving the transportation offerings but also their drive to enhance the overall visitor experience.

Grab and STB want to improve the transportation network for business travellers also. To do so extensive mobility solutions including GrabCoach and GrabCar Premium are to be integrated into society, alongside services from STB’s partners in the Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.

“Our collaboration with Grab extends beyond transportation to include sharing of consumer intelligence data and spearheading innovation and technological initiatives,” said Mr Quek Choon Yang, Chief Technology Officer of Singapore Tourism Board. “With Grab’s extensive presence in the Southeast Asian region, which contributes a very large share of our visitors, we are confident of reaching a sizable audience through the multi-faceted touch points offered through the Grab app. Together, we will create a travel experience that is both seamless and personalised to the needs of our visitors.”