Local smart mobility startup RushOwl announced today (January 11) the launch of its new subscription-based ride-sharing feature.
Called PickMe!, the feature — which is part of their app RushTrail — allows users to create their own ride-sharing group or join others on the same ride to their destinations for as little as “S$7 per ride”.
The price of each ride using the PickMe! feature will depend on the frequency of the ride per week and the number of persons on board. Rides with higher frequency and more passengers on board will be cheaper.
“Everyone who has downloaded the RushTrail app is able to use our PickMe! feature, whether they are commuting to work, school, or even parents who are dropping their kids off at school before heading off to work themselves,” said Koh Man Ting, marketing executive of RushOwl.
In its press release, RushOwl said that the new feature will give passengers “guaranteed seats, timely pick-ups to minimise commute duration” and “fixed prices throughout their subscriptions”.
They also added that passengers can overcome price surges during peak hours and driver supply shortages, all while reducing their carbon footprint through the new feature.
You can create or join a “ride party”
Users can create their own ride-sharing group — dubbed “ride parties” — and modify its privacy setting. They can also classify the ride into work, school and women-only categories.
While there are no Covid-19 restrictions as PickMe! is similar to a public commute, passengers can opt for ‘Private Rides’ and share their ride among people they know, said RushOwl.
Once a ride party has reached the minimum of four passengers required, the host can launch the route. Hosts of each ride party can also set a priority location to arrive at a specific time.
Additionally, users can also join existing ride parties to reduce the cost per user per trip, and launch their desired routes faster. They can easily search for rides based on the categories and their frequency desired.
Moving forward, RushOwl plans to launch a specific PickMe! feature for schools on its platforms. This feature will be an addition to its existing services for 27 schools in Singapore as of 2022, making the journey to school more seamless for parents and their children.
Founded in 2018, the startup provides on-demand and region-to-region routes for passengers, partners with fleet owners, smart cities, and governments. It has worked with various smart city stakeholders like JTC, HDT (a subsidiary of electric bus maker, BYD China) and SMRT.
The startup recently raised S$650,000 in a seed funding round and announced plans to expand across the Asia Pacific region in December 2021.
Featured Image Credit: RushOwl