ComfortDelGro’s quiet tech play and why it’s not sweating GrabCab’s taxi move

[SINGAPORE] Within just a decade, Grab has gone full circle from an entrant challenging incumbent taxi companies to becoming one itself. In July, three months after getting a street-hail licence in Singapore, it launched its own taxi service GrabCab. With 65 taxis signed up as of August, the company plans to hit 800 within three years.

The tech company says it doesn’t intend to attract drivers from rival car companies. But its entry – which comes with generous driver incentives typical of the super app – could stiffen competition in the city-state, where drivers are already in short supply.

Even so, ComfortDelGro, Singapore’s largest taxi company, is drawing on decades of experience to stay competitive. It also has a few plans up its sleeve.