A fairer ride? Rethinking the ride-hailing model

Ride-hailing is now so woven into Singapore life that most of us barely think about what happens behind the app icon. Yet the system is under strain. Singapore logged 583,000 ride-hail trips a day in September, almost 9 per cent higher than in January, but drivers are earning less, working longer and watching incentives disappear as platforms chase profitability. No surprise, then, that the driver pool is thinning.

In this week’s TransportBT, a podcast of BT Correspondents, host Derryn Wong sits down with Kay Woo, founder of Tada, to ask whether sustainable ride-hailing is even possible. Woo thinks it is, but only if platforms rethink the fundamentals: transparency, fair income and algorithms that treat drivers as contributors, not expendable labour.

Why listen

• The zero-commission experiment: Woo explains why Tada’s zero per cent commission model brought drivers back, lowered fares for riders and created a rare bright spot in a sector squeezed at both ends.

• Profit without exploiting drivers: Tada’s profitability comes from a flat software fee rather than a cut of earnings. Woo argues this flips the industry’s incentive structure and acts as a speed bump to the giants.

• Algorithms and ethics: From phone-based price discrimination to opaque dynamic pricing, Woo discusses how current algorithms tilt against users and how blockchain can force transparency.

• Preparing for an AV future: Autonomous vehicles are coming whether we like it or not. Woo lays out a model where drivers retain ownership of the data and the vehicles that will one day replace traditional ride-hailing.

What gives this episode its charge is Woo’s belief that the industry’s future hinges not on bigger subsidies or flashier tech but on whether platforms choose to honour the people who keep the wheels turning. If you want a clear, grounded look at what ethical ride-hailing could look like, listen now.

TransportBT is a podcast of BT Correspondents by The Business Times. Join Derryn Wong every month as he breaks down the headlines and the policy moves behind them for you. Listen now at bt.sg/podcasts. Got feedback or an idea for a future episode? Drop us a line at btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.

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Written and hosted by: Derryn Wong (derrynwong@sph.com.sg)

With Kay Woo, founder, Tada

Edited by: Emily Liu & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: Derryn Wong, Emily Liu & Chai Pei Chieh

A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

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