After three years, Gojek is still dedicated to Singapore

The arrival of Gojek in Singapore was long expected a few years ago, especially after Uber’s departure from Southeast Asia.

When we discovered in 2017 that it had opened a data science branch in Singapore, rumors of its entry were rife. It only began operating in Singapore’s ride-hailing sector in late 2018, as part of a US$500 million regional development plan.

Despite having a strong and profitable presence in its home market of Indonesia, Gojek was starting from scratch when it comes to expanding its operations throughout Southeast Asia.

Regardless, Singaporeans were ecstatic at the prospect of a new competitor entering the market and providing them with a new option as well as potential discounts.

“Since our inception in Singapore three years ago, we’ve achieved a lot of progress. Our debut into the market was well accepted at the time since it gave passengers and drivers more options,” Lien Choong Luen, Gojek Singapore’s general manager, told Vulcan Post.

“Since then, we’ve solidified our position as a vital participant in Singapore’s point-to-point transportation infrastructure, with Gojek also being the country’s most downloaded app in the fourth quarter of 2021.” Despite the challenges we’ve experienced, we’ve become a top-of-mind ride-hailing app in the industry, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.”

Getting out of the Covid-19 bind

The Covid-19 epidemic, in particular, has had a significant impact on the corporation, as it has on many others.

In fact, according to a Milieu Insight poll, 45 percent of Singaporeans are paying less on ride-hailing services than usual, as shared mobility becomes a less desirable alternative during these epidemic times.

Regardless, Gojek has remained resilient and has quickly evolved to implement steps that will assist keep Singapore moving securely.

Gojek Singapore

For example, it launched a vaccination voucher campaign to promote national immunization efforts by making it easier for people to get their vaccinations by providing a free or heavily discounted ride to a vaccination center. To go to and from their immunization appointments, all riders were given two S$15 vouchers.

“With nearly 1.1 million trips completed, the campaign increased demand for rides and supplied much-needed orders to driver-partners,” Lien added.

Gojek has decreased commissions for its driver-partners to 10% in order to provide a minimum earnings safety net, as well as a flat fee payout of S$3 for pickups of 3km or more, as well as new daily peak hour targets to improve earnings by up to S$100.

Endemic means different things to everyone, and as we move forward together, our priority is on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all users across our network.

We will continue to provide improved earning opportunities and stability for driver-partners in order to build a sustainable livelihood on Gojek, and we will also continue to provide safe point-to-point travel options for our riders.

–Lien Choong Luen, general manager of Gojek Singapore

Promo offers and new services are being rolled out to entice users

When asked about Gojek’s plan for increasing market share in Singapore, Lien stated that the company’s “immediate focus” is to continue to improve its transportation solutions through a variety of product developments as well as long-term improvements to driver-partner and rider experiences.

Gojek Singapore

This involves the distribution of promotional codes, such as the present Off-Peak 925 campaign, as well as the introduction of new services.

For example, GoCar XL, a new service type for larger, six-seater vehicles, was launched. With GoCar XL, driver-partners can earn more money while still being eligible for the same GoCar benefits.

It also introduced GoTaxi, a solution that allows taxi drivers to complete metered rides on a platform.

“In addition to these new service offerings, we’re hard at work on a pipeline of service updates and features geared at providing a better and more seamless experience for our driver-partners and riders,” Lien said.

He wouldn’t say whether Gojek had any intentions to expand its service portfolio, which may include food and grocery delivery, courier, and banking services, among other things.

Gojek

He did admit, though, that these services “unquestionably make a lot of sense in a competitive and metropolitan environment” like Singapore.

He continued, “As consumers’ desire for convenience grows, Gojek will pivot to ensure that they can fulfill the changing needs of customers.” For the time being, Gojek is committed to a long-term strategy centered on long-term growth.

We remain focused on our progress in terms of rolling out services and product features that are specific to market needs and evolving needs of our users in Singapore.

Our business operations and objectives will continue to focus on getting our core fundamentals right, fulfilling our ESG commitments, and expanding into other areas and services that solve market-specific needs.

–Lien Choong Luen, general manager of Gojek Singapore

Gojek’s business continues to prioritize sustainability, and it incorporates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives whenever possible. Gojek, on the other hand, is well-positioned for the transition as Singapore prepares to deploy electric vehicles (EVs).

“We’ve been working closely with industry partners and our GoFleet partners to seek further methods to reinforce our approach in pivoting to employing more cleaner energy electric vehicles in our fleet, toward our zero-emissions target,” Lien added.

In Indonesia, Gojek recently established a collaborative venture with TBS Energi Utama, an integrated energy firm, to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and develop infrastructure for two-wheel EVs across the country.

Around 30% of Singapore’s vehicles are cleaner (hybrid or electric), which is a “encouraging start” for the corporation — this is in line with the government’s objective of phasing out internal combustion engines (ICEs) by 2040.

“Our Singapore operations will continue to support our sustainability goals, which we are already making substantial progress toward.” Environmental sustainability, socioeconomic advancement, and equality and inclusion will be central to our approach to solving current concerns.”

Gojek continues to prioritize Singapore as a strategic market

Singapore is a “unique” market, according to Lien, because it is established, tiny in size, and highly advanced in innovation and infrastructure.

With these traits in mind, Gojek chose Singapore to expand its company and enhance its ecosystem, all while ensuring that the market remains open and competitive for both riders and drivers.

Singapore remains a strategic priority market for Gojek, and is aligned with our goal to further strengthen our market share and maximise business potential in the country. We remain focused not just on our growth prospects, but also on accelerating growth for our driver-partners, and stakeholders across our ecosystem.

Our priority is to ensure that we are contributing [to] the competitiveness of the market here — by providing more options for consumers and continuing to deliver safe and great experiences for them.

–Lien Choong Luen, general manager of Gojek Singapore

In addition, he stated that ride-hailing in Singapore has become “well-accepted.” It makes consumers’ point-to-point transportation journeys more efficient, and with more options on the market, it helps lower prices and assures that players provide better services and experiences for users.

Looking back on the company’s three-year journey in Singapore, Lien believes there has been no “one critical moment” that has fueled its growth.

“Over the last three years, Gojek’s commitment to Singapore and investment to grow and scale-up has helped us get to where we are.” We’re continuing to invest in our product innovations today, where improved infrastructure and technological capabilities can allow for future scaling and agility, resulting in long-term sustainable growth.”

“Our business approach is to prioritize bold and significant investments that produce operational excellence, resonate with our users, fulfill their changing demands, and provide them with a positive Gojek experience.”