By Tara Yean
As cost-of-living prices continue to increase, consumers tend to be more frugal when it comes to spending for other matters. One such matter is ride-hailing services. A single smartphone user might have multiple ride-hailing apps installed just so they can compare prices of the rides between the different services available.
Meanwhile, InDrive is a mobility platform that can provide comparative prices for the convenience of the users. From its humble beginnings in a small town called Yakutsk in Siberia, Russia, the company is now based in Mountain View, California with over 3,000 employees. With the company having reached a value of US$1 billion, InDrive has also achieved the ‘unicorn’ status, with a presence in over 46 countries.
“We are one of the fastest growing online ride-hailing services as we are currently the second most downloaded app globally, in terms of ride-hailing. This shows that we are determined to be in the market and we are committed to get better in what we do,” said InDrive Malaysia Business Development Lead, Govin Kumar.
According to Govin, the brand strives to emphasise its core messaging, which is ‘fairer fares’, to not only provide convenience to the passengers, but also benefit the InDrive drivers at the same time.
“We refer to the concept of ‘fairer fares’ because it will be an amount that is agreed upon between both the passenger and driver. If one party does not agree on the price, then there will be no ride.
“This will allow either parties to be in full control of whether the ride happens or not, which starts when the passenger bids for a price and it will be up for the drivers to accept the ride for that price or if they would prefer another figure to which they will be able to counter-bid,” Govin explained in an exclusive interview with The Exchange Asia.
Apart from that, he also highlighted how InDrive is a service that upholds transparency for both sides. In this sense, Govin described how the driver can see how much the passenger is bidding for and the passenger can also see what the driver is counter bidding for or whether they are willing to accept the initial bid.
“This way, there will be no hidden fees. Both parties will be clear on what they will pay or what they will receive at the end of the ride,” he said.
Unlike most other ride-hailing services, InDrive prides itself in its ability to provide its drivers with 100% of the fares that is paid for the ride.
Govin explained, “A lot of drivers prefer direct payments. Having that in mind, our system will enable the passengers to pay directly to the driver without any involvement from a third party.”
He further clarified that while the passengers have the freedom to set their own fares, the system will also display the recommended price of the ride based on the distance, typical fares, the number of drivers around the area and so on. This will allow the passengers to have a better guideline when considering their bid for the fare.
On the driver’s side, they can also make their counteroffer known among the other drivers in the area to lock in the offer. In turn, the passengers will then be able to see how many drivers are interested in the bid, which will provide the passengers with full flexibility to choose which driver and counter-bid they would agree with.
However, the system will set a limit and recommended fare on how low or high the prices can be offered for both the passengers and the drivers.
“If the passengers bid too low, the price might not be attractive to the drivers so they might not take up the ride, which would affect the response time for the passengers to book a ride,” he added.
Growth in Malaysia
According to InDrive Business Development Manager for Southeast Asia and Overseas, Afanasiy Petrov, since its introduction in Malaysia, InDrive’s customer base has experienced steady growth year-on-year, which is a testament to the acceptance level of Malaysians in accepting the company’s business model.
“Admittedly, our presence in Malaysia tends to spark some healthy competition with other ride-hailing companies, but ultimately, the main benefit will fall down to the customers as they would have more options to choose from.
“Customers will also be presented with better deals that would suit their affordability. That is how we contribute to the community here,” Petrov noted.
Aside from attractive prices, Petrov noted that InDrive also takes safety very seriously. For this, the app has an emergency button feature where the passengers and the drivers would be able to call for emergency services immediately, straight from the app itself.
As an added safety feature for the passengers, the app also has a Ride Share feature that will enable the passengers to share their ride details with their friends and family for an extra layer of security, with 24-7 support services available.
Meanwhile, Petroc also mentioned that the company is currently looking to enhance a number of its current features with plans to introduce more new capabilities in the near future.
“We’re exploring introducing new tech in our system, with the current focus being on improving the ease of registration for passengers.
“We are also looking to explore possibilities in the electric vehicle (EV) segment, but everything is still within the discussion stage at the moment. However, we already have partnerships with a number of EV producers in Indonesia and Thailand…Of course, we are considering options in Malaysia as well,” Petrov said, adding that InDrive is open to collaborating with any local EV manufacturers to ensure further growth of the company.
Here to Stay
When asked about the possibility of InDrive subsidising the installation of dashcams in the cars of the drivers, InDrive Head of Global Support for APAC and Developed Countries, Nava replied, “While it is not a requirement at the moment, we are actively looking for partners who can support us in that. But yes, it is something that we are actively exploring at this stage.”
Dashcams, or dashboard cameras, are digital video recorders that can be installed at the front and back of a vehicle with the main purpose of protecting the liability of the drivers, passengers or even other surrounding vehicles.
In the event of an argument, accident or any mishap that may occur, the dashcam will be able to provide indisputable evidence for all those involved.
One such issue involved a dispute that happened between a driver and his passenger regarding the usage of a tolled road, in which the situation escalated into a physical altercation.
“The actions of the driver were completely unacceptable and we took immediate action when this case was brought to us from both the passenger and the driver’s side. The passenger lodged a police report about it and the driver was charged in court and was found guilty.
“Following this, we have reached out to the passenger to come up with solutions and assistance for the issue or at least to make things a little better for both the users and the drivers in the future,” explained Nava.
He said that for any disputes that may happen between a passenger and driver, it is advisable for the passengers not to engage in arguments that could escalate the situation.
“It is better if either the passenger or driver make use of the emergency button to avoid any further arguments. At the same time, on the driver’s side, we always emphasise professionalism. After all, they are not our employees, but we are committed to educating our drivers on how to properly navigate certain situations to avoid conflict or escalation,” Nava added.
Additionally, we will be running regular safety campaigns to educate both drivers and passengers about best practices and the importance of adhering to safety protocols. We encourage our community to provide feedback on their experiences, helping us refine our safety measures and address any emerging issues promptly.
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, inDrive is also currently testing new safety features. These include the use of Machine Learning to identify fraudulent documents provided by drivers during the drivers vetting process as well as automation of car photo control. This innovation will speed up the current verification processes, which include driver and car photo control, and verification of documents.
InDrive also uses machine learning to moderate avatars. This feature deletes people’s avatars if they are not aligned with the terms of use – i.e. if they depict inappropriate, sensitive or commercial content.
While we cannot completely eliminate the possibility of incidents, our commitment to safety drives us to take all necessary actions to protect our users. By being transparent and proactive, we aim to build trust and provide a secure environment for everyone who uses inDrive.
Moving forward, Mohamed Khalil, inDrive’s Regional Driver Acquisition Team Lead for Southeast Asia and Overseas, expressed strong optimism about the company’s expansion plans in Malaysia. He emphasized that the company is particularly focused on increasing the number of drivers and inDrive driver centers beyond the current one in Cyberjaya, which is pivotal to their growth strategy in the region.
“Our recent renewal of the operating license for the next two years, along with the successful audit of our app by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), positions us well to continue our operations in Malaysia without any foreseeable challenges,” Khalil stated.
He further emphasized inDrive’s commitment to the Malaysian market, stating that the company is not just here to maintain its presence but to significantly expand it. “We take this market very seriously and have ambitious plans to grow even further. By offering the lowest commission rate in the region, which is only 10%, we enable our drivers to earn a fair and decent income. As a brand that puts our people and community first, we aim to continuously expand our footprint into other cities, enhance our services, and increase our driver network to meet the rising demand,” Khalil added.
