[CNA] GrabTaxi opens S$136 Million R&D centre in SG
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/grabtaxi-opens-s-136m-r-d/1772932.html
Located along Cecil Street, the 4,500-square-feet R&D centre will serve as GrabTaxi’s technology hub, and home to about 200 engineers and data scientists.
SINGAPORE: Taxi booking app GrabTaxi on Wednesday (Apr 8) opened its US$100 million (S$136 million) research and development (R&D) centre.
Located along Cecil Street, in the heart of the central business district, the 4,500-square-feet R&D centre will serve as GrabTaxi’s technology hub, and home to about 200 engineers and data scientists. It will focus on analysing data and spotting trends from multiple sources.
The investment, over the next few years, marks a milestone for South-east Asian start-ups.
GrabTaxi Founder and Group CEO Anthony Tan said this has now put the company on a level playing field with the largest technology companies in the world. It had hired talent from tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon.
“Though we remain focused on Southeast Asia, we know that talent is global. This new R&D centre has put on us a level playing field with the largest technology companies in the world,” he said.
“Singapore was the logical choice for us when we first started planning this R&D Centre. The strong existing infrastructure and conducive business environment are ideal for us to build and develop this global pool of talent.”
The company stressed that R&D is integral to its core operations.
"This is where the magic happens," said GrabTaxi Chief Technology Officer Wei Zhu. "When somebody wants to book a taxi, how do we find the user the correct driver, with the fastest time? How do we get them to know where they are and how long it will take? All these things, payments and things like that."
“EDB is confident that the centre will further contribute to the host of exciting new jobs that are being created in Singapore,” added the Economic Development Board’s Assistant Managing Director Ms Thien Kwee Eng in the GrabTaxi press release.
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Wa ! WTF Grab Taxi Sibei Wu Rui !
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Wah power leh
So howz cdg goin to match GT?
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Cdg is not going to match Grab, apps is the next future way of driving taxi, taxis in time to come, may not be in our time, will not be street pax or on Q, it will be automated, with our good IT infrastructure here, whereby many of it usage are not used, thing like 4G, GPS, and son are very advance in Singapore, one of the top usage of IT in the world. Therefore, it will be crazy to stick on MDT, and AS I SAID LONG AGO, Grabtaxi biggest shareholders is govt, temasek, GIC companies, who are also shareholder of CDG, so no matter pax uses grab or cdg, they still earn. And like facebook, they want to use Grab not only to match taxi and pax, there are other motives to it, like locating a person, with a grab apps, your location, name can be capture by the authority, that makes police work easier. And if all people download grab..they can track you easily. So, in conclusion, CDG is not going to do anything, they will let MDT die by itself, cdg apps is still around and it might link with Grab to seek the economy of scale in transmission. By few years time, cdg call centre will close, because the cost of operating it will not sustain, the likes of having to employ staffs to mend it, having to set up repair centre at sin ming, the likes of having to teach, having to maintain and update is not worthy of cdg to venture further. With Grab, shareholders of cdg, temasek, GIC and other GLCs will benefit from it, and that is why they do not mind to invest on it, and also give out good incentive to attract cabbies, this will ultimately erase the problem of pax and taxi matching or pax not getting a cab or taxi driver unable to find pax
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The likes of Taxi stand Q is going to change soon, there will be 2 lines of stand instead of just a Q line One for on call pax and another for those who dunno how to make call or do not wish to make a call. On the on call line, there is no Q, pax can mingle around or sit there waiting for the cab to arrive. Even those without hp or dunno how to use, the stand will also hv a on call stand, just choose the apps and press to wait, once accepted, cab number know, you just wait for it to arrive with the approx time stated. This alone minimised the long Q of cabs that block the traffic flow and also cabs stopping here and there to pick on call pax, example like takashimaya, it will also the pax Q
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So shoik grab all the funding money and anyhow throw
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"GrabTaxi Founder and Group CEO Anthony Tan said this has now put the company on a level playing field with the largest technology companies in the world. It had hired talent from tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon."
“EDB is confident that the centre will further contribute to the host of exciting new jobs that are being created in Singapore,” added the Economic Development Board’s Assistant Managing Director Ms Thien Kwee Eng in the GrabTaxi press release."
Sure...IT jobs for FT and taxi driver jobs for Singaporeans. 万�!!
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Uber koh kar wu lui ... latest funding US$1bn.
GT is copying Uber but they went into taxi first. Uber came in late on taxi but is catching up with their aggressive marketing spend.
In the end, Uber will make lots of money when existing customers flow to their uberx series ... 20% comm per trip Vs GT's 30ct per trip.
GT is already starting Grabcar but not popular. Sooner or later, they will pump money into Grabcar because that's where the real money is.
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Originally posted by luckycabby:
Uber koh kar wu lui ... latest funding US$1bn.
GT is copying Uber but they went into taxi first. Uber came in late on taxi but is catching up with their aggressive marketing spend.
In the end, Uber will make lots of money when existing customers flow to their uberx series ... 20% comm per trip Vs GT's 30ct per trip.
GT is already starting Grabcar but not popular. Sooner or later, they will pump money into Grabcar because that's where the real money is.
。。。 the end, Uber will make lots of money when existing customers flow to their uberx series ... 20% comm per trip Vs GT's 30ct per trip.。。。。。
GrabTaxi, ComfortDelgro flagged as most popular: Straits Times online poll
SINGAPORE - When it comes to booking and locating cabs, GrabTaxi is the taxi app of choice, according to a Straits Times online poll.
Of the 600 responses, almost half (45 per cent) gave their vote to the Malaysian-based app, which was launched here last October.。。。。。。。
US-based Uber (14 per cent) and London-based Hailo (7 per cent) came in third and fourth respectively.。。。。。。。。。
(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) 14 % will Makan 45 % 。。。。(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) (*@ο@*)
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Originally posted by Ct2220:
。。。 the end, Uber will make lots of money when existing customers flow to their uberx series ... 20% comm per trip Vs GT's 30ct per trip.。。。。。
GrabTaxi, ComfortDelgro flagged as most popular: Straits Times online poll
SINGAPORE - When it comes to booking and locating cabs, GrabTaxi is the taxi app of choice, according to a Straits Times online poll.
Of the 600 responses, almost half (45 per cent) gave their vote to the Malaysian-based app, which was launched here last October.。。。。。。。
US-based Uber (14 per cent) and London-based Hailo (7 per cent) came in third and fourth respectively.。。。。。。。。。
(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) 14 % will Makan 45 % 。。。。(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) (*@ο@*)
Yes, at the moment, GT is leading the taxi apps booking race. But they are very wary of Uber, every time Uber has a promo, they will sabo.
But the day will come when Uber makes their Uberx really cheaper than taxis, then naturally pax will flow to them (or Grabcar if it takes off).
They are already encouraging their users to take Uberx instead of Ubertaxi - use their app to see for yourself. Lure them into Uber with free rides, discounted taxi rides, incentives for TDs so that pax continue to use their app. Then slowly pull the plug on TDs incentives and improve UberX rates, hoping that people switch to UberX where they can get that 20% comm.
(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) 14 % will Makan 45 % 。。。。(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) ???
This is now lah, I am talking about the future trend. If GT thinks 45% is oon oon jiak bee hoon, then they will be lunch soon. Luckiliy they are not like that. Just see how they react to every Uber move. So watch the show....
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lj lah, whatever changes or billions invested, we still hv to peng steering mah, eat fish soup rice, Q at AP, drink packet kopi, and for some, smoke also hv to look out..just drive lah and hope next week toto tio...
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Originally posted by bowah:
Cdg is not going to match Grab, apps is the next future way of driving taxi, taxis in time to come, may not be in our time, will not be street pax or on Q, it will be automated, with our good IT infrastructure here, whereby many of it usage are not used, thing like 4G, GPS, and son are very advance in Singapore, one of the top usage of IT in the world.
Therefore, it will be crazy to stick on MDT, and AS I SAID LONG AGO, Grabtaxi biggest shareholders is govt, temasek, GIC companies, who are also shareholder of CDG, so no matter pax uses grab or cdg, they still earn.
And like facebook, they want to use Grab not only to match taxi and pax, there are other motives to it, like locating a person, with a grab apps, your location, name can be capture by the authority, that makes police work easier. And if all people download grab..they can track you easily.
So, in conclusion, CDG is not going to do anything, they will let MDT die by itself, cdg apps is still around and it might link with Grab to seek the economy of scale in transmission. By few years time, cdg call centre will close, because the cost of operating it will not sustain, the likes of having to employ staffs to mend it, having to set up repair centre at sin ming, the likes of having to teach, having to maintain and update is not worthy of cdg to venture further.
With Grab, shareholders of cdg, temasek, GIC and other GLCs will benefit from it, and that is why they do not mind to invest on it, and also give out good incentive to attract cabbies, this will ultimately erase the problem of pax and taxi matching or pax not getting a cab or taxi driver unable to find pax
So u saying cdg's future upgrading programmes has no hope ah
Only it's name stands as sg largest taxi company but other things still lose to smaller players sibo?
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Originally posted by luckycabby:
Yes, at the moment, GT is leading the taxi apps booking race. But they are very wary of Uber, every time Uber has a promo, they will sabo.
But the day will come when Uber makes their Uberx really cheaper than taxis, then naturally pax will flow to them (or Grabcar if it takes off).
They are already encouraging their users to take Uberx instead of Ubertaxi - use their app to see for yourself. Lure them into Uber with free rides, discounted taxi rides, incentives for TDs so that pax continue to use their app. Then slowly pull the plug on TDs incentives and improve UberX rates, hoping that people switch to UberX where they can get that 20% comm.
(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) 14 % will Makan 45 % 。。。。(*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) (*@ο@*) ???
This is now lah, I am talking about the future trend. If GT thinks 45% is oon oon jiak bee hoon, then they will be lunch soon. Luckiliy they are not like that. Just see how they react to every Uber move. So watch the show....
I own a car besides driving teksi. No way I will use my own car to pick up those lj pax. If I want to earn extra money, I will go get my teksi license and drive part time.
Imagine using my own car to fetch those pax and tio kan in the end. Double tu lan right?
Those Uberx is out for me. Perhaps many car owners feel the same way.
Taxi fares are bloody cheap in Singapore and cars are expensive. If Uber lower fares too much and is cheaper than taxi fare, which car owner want to become Uberx driver? Earnings not even enough to cover petrol.
Uber thrives best in cities where taking taxi is expensive and cars are cheap. Or where both taxi and cars are cheap. Singapore is the exact opposite. It remains to be seen.
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When will the day, TD will not becum gong kia?....
136 million throw into an office, employing 200 pay salary staff.....
Tagging on gong kia TD, plying the road, getting fare of peanuts?....
Wake up la! Bros.....
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
When will the day, TD will not becum gong kia?....
136 million throw into an office, employing 200 pay salary staff.....
Tagging on gong kia TD, plying the road, getting fare of peanuts?....
Wake up la! Bros.....
It is a dog's for TDs lah. That's why TDs must keep on looking for the light out of the tunnel. If you quit trying, then be prepared to get exploited till you retire. ..
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Ever since last year when I read news that Temasek invested heavily into grabtaxi biz, I removed both mts driver and gt app. Like what bowah said, I already knew our jiak liao bee SPF just wanted an easy way to track people. For the same reason, I dont facebook, linkedin, instagram, subscribe to straitstimes online or use microsoft windows. All these apps are linked to SPF or FBI.
I have witnessed SPF gangsters beating people, grabbing cash from shops and smashing shop fronts all in the name of doing their job. But when people lost their iphone and make police report, our police dont care because its small case. Our SPF prioritises their effort based on victims social status and money involved. I can tell you that stealing handphones for a living is possible in singapore simply because our police wont bother. Everyday got at least a hundred police reports being made by victims at police stations. Our police hotline can get very very busy. There is significant crime in Singapore but many people are not aware. During peak hour, believe it or not, getting through the police hotline is harder than booking a taxi. You wait and wait, by the time the police answers, the thief already in johor. This is the weakness in our police force.
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If Mas selemat can walk out of the most stringent detention in Singapore, what you expect more, our SPF is detoriating, not only that their personnel are less capable, they are also facing a shortage of manpower due to the fark govt policy of population increse to 6.9million at all cost. If you 4 rooms flat can only accommodate 10 peoples, but you invited 100 peoples, do you think, you got enuf chairs, enuf drinks, enuf helpers, enuf space..toilet and so on. This is the farking problem with our govt population increment policy, you have not have enuf hospital, enuf policeforce, enuf train, bus, manpower and so on,...and yet you go and bring in so many people just for the sake of economy and earning more taxation at the expense of all these cockup and social unhappiness among the locals. Even me as a TD, I know that today I OBK, not enuf money, I will not go find my bak bak, until I am ready, below can stand abit, got some good earning, then I will go. This is call planing. And funny how, and sadly, our govt are not admitting they are wrong and make a big mistake, end up having to build this and that in a hurry, jacked up the prices of property and all other cost of living in Singapore
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I dunno other country, but here in Singapore, when you got robbed during evening peak hour and panicked. Call 999 - they put you on hold. Run to police station, they ask you to queue up. Look around for policeman, only see cardboard police. Saw a policeman, they ask you to call hotline or visit the NPP.
Fark lah, might as well join the bad guys. Afterall the police got no time for victims right? Business too good for them. Chao cheebye must queue up to make report. You thought only hospital very busy.
Not that I got robbed. I am aware of this problem ever since they started increasing the population. Want to cheong 10 million population here in Singapore? Go ahead lah, people out of job will simply change to professional robber. See our mata got time to catch or not.
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Singapore Budget 2015: Home Team to add 2,000 men in next 5 years, says DPM Teo Chee Hean
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Originally posted by bowah:
lj lah, whatever changes or billions invested, we still hv to peng steering mah, eat fish soup rice, Q at AP, drink packet kopi, and for some, smoke also hv to look out..just drive lah and hope next week toto tio…
LJ lah!!!which apps win
we still the taxi driver ho....!!!!!!!
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Originally posted by Taxilim88:
Singapore Budget 2015: Home Team to add 2,000 men in next 5 years, says DPM Teo Chee Hean
1. Singapore population
5.47 million (http://www.singstat.gov.sg)
2. SPF strength
38,587 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Police_Force)
Not all police are tasked to catch the same criminals. Some out at sea, some stuck in ICA, some off-duty, some office-duty, some stuck in front of computer screen catching cyber criminals, some are ahem - taxi driver cops sending their colleagues to a raid in the guise of a comfort taxi. When come to serious crimes, they come as a gang in 10-20s. Everyday got around 100 police reports, maybe more. Our police to citizen ratio is 1:140. Clearly our police force cannot attend to all cases. Many crimes are being KIV into the dustbin. You pressure our police and guess what? They ask you hire CISCO body guards. SPF is not your private police hor. They got more important things to do. I am simply amazed Singapore still seems so calm. Many many things can go wrong. Look at what happened at Race Course Road riot. We got 39,000 policemen but there is a strict chain of command.
Just watch out for your personal belongings. If stolen, it is as good as gone. SPF is under-staffed, and they got no budget to hire too many. Each normal policeman costs $6K at least every month including overheads and CPF. All of them, like you and me, got families to feed and a career to pursue. They are not going to risk their lives unnecessarily and they will focus on cases that can aid their promotion.
You think 2,000 more policemen will solve this problem? Count your blessings and enjoy the peace that we got. I just hope shit does not happen here. Those FT bangalahs, indians and PRCs, if they really knew our situation and if they organise themselves, can cause more havoc than we got police to handle.
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Originally posted by Taxilim88:
I own a car besides driving teksi. No way I will use my own car to pick up those lj pax. If I want to earn extra money, I will go get my teksi license and drive part time.
Imagine using my own car to fetch those pax and tio kan in the end. Double tu lan right?
Those Uberx is out for me. Perhaps many car owners feel the same way.
Taxi fares are bloody cheap in Singapore and cars are expensive. If Uber lower fares too much and is cheaper than taxi fare, which car owner want to become Uberx driver? Earnings not even enough to cover petrol.
Uber thrives best in cities where taking taxi is expensive and cars are cheap. Or where both taxi and cars are cheap. Singapore is the exact opposite. It remains to be seen.
Property agents, insurance agents & other outdoor salesmen and even other car owners find using Uber to earn extra cash helps. Plus there are those who can't qualify for TDVL or got suspended, etc, this is a good way out.
Yes, the earnings are not as good as TDs but remember that they are either not doing this full time or cannot be TDs. So their expectations are lower and Uber can make a good killing. Not sure of the numbers but there must be quite signficant as shown in other countries.
The only thing that can derail Uber's plan is LTA. Right now, they only insists on commercial insurance. Not sure how this affects the supply of drivers though but read in other forums, not a big deterrence to would be drivers.
Just be aware.
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Aiya, in any competition, the strongest suvive, and we, as seasoned until cannot season driver, scare smlj, just drive lah, as long as yr profit is still within yr target, can liao lah. Like during the SARs period, many throw key, limpek hold on...also can survive mah, taxi rental went above 100 dollars that time, people also throw key, limpek hold on...also can huat mah. Then LV and many other radio call stations came in and eat our pie, can see them take our pax away at shenton way...limpek hold on...still can survive mah. Then apps come into the picture...limpek kenna hijacked by them many times,,,...also lan lan and survive mah. Now Uber come into the picture...we still can survive lah, Uber and apps is only a change of technology from those old method of radio and pte booking, so as new innovation come in, the old one surely go off.
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Heard next insurance agents are in line to join the taxi trade bcoz now no need agent to buy insurance liao
Ppl can ownself do everything...
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Originally posted by bowah:
Aiya, in any competition, the strongest suvive, and we, as seasoned until cannot season driver, scare smlj, just drive lah, as long as yr profit is still within yr target, can liao lah.
Like during the SARs period, many throw key, limpek hold on…also can survive mah, taxi rental went above 100 dollars that time, people also throw key, limpek hold on…also can huat mah. Then LV and many other radio call stations came in and eat our pie, can see them take our pax away at shenton way…limpek hold on…still can survive mah.
Then apps come into the picture…limpek kenna hijacked by them many times,,,...also lan lan and survive mah. Now Uber come into the picture…we still can survive lah, Uber and apps is only a change of technology from those old method of radio and pte booking, so as new innovation come in, the old one surely go off.
Hope you are right lah. But we are not talking about taxi booking apps like Ubertaxi, GT,etc. This one only help TDs, not harm TDs
UberX car is not "a change of technology from those old method of radio and pte booking". It is a totally new way of travelling around without a need to take a taxi. It is a direct threat to the livelihood of TDs.
Know the difference and be aware, bro.
