Grab Quietly Rolls-Out GrabBike for Malaysia; Just a Name Change

It’s days before Grab completely takes over Uber, on the service provision front a least, and Grab quietly rolls-out GrabBike. For now, it’s just a name change. This move has zero fan-fare and with good reason. So much confusion now reigns among partner-drivers and users after Grab officially bought over Uber Southeast Asia operations.

In fact, the Grab app has experienced multiple downtimes and non-operational issues lately; this is all thanks to the massive wave of incoming users it is taking in. It’s not surprising that Grab didn’t plan a big bash for its new, soon-to-launch bike-hailing service.

This change to the app name will, however, foreshadow of the moves Grab will be making in the coming months. First the inclusion of bikes for ride-hailing. Next, though there is no telling hints, will be bicycles and food delivery. At press time, GrabBike is only available in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Malaysia is likely the next to introduce this service going by what the app shows off.

Next up is likely GrabFood; as there is a need for delivery bikes to get the orders from Point A to Point B. Even when the merger brings riders from Uber Eats into the fold, likely more must come in to remain sustainable.

Having the riders will also lock in one more necessary factor to introduce Grab Express. Some countries have offered this dedicated courier service, even when GrabBike isn’t available. The larger Grab Parcel is likely the next service to come online for Malaysia. That is after everything is in place.

For now, the current Grab services for Malaysia should be running at optimal capacity even with the recent errors. For now, the focus should be on making sure nothing goes wrong. Only then can new offerings come into play. That is the only way Grab can fully leverage on this new acquisition and make a real impact.

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