Singaporean 'mumshie' has an app way of tackling Manila's traffic nightmare

Her motorbike ride-hailing app has seen 3 million downloads and the firm employs 27,000 riders

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In 2016, after a stint with Grab, Singaporean Angeline Tham founded Angkas, a motorcycle ride-hailing service in Manila. Its app has been downloaded three million times and it has more than 27,000 riders.
An Angkas rider in the motorcycle ride-hailing service's distinctive black and blue helmet and shirt.
Ms Angeline Tham set up a motorcycle ride-hailing company in Manila after finding herself stuck in traffic for hours in the gridlocked Philippine capital. PHOTO: CRISTINA MENINA FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
Ms Angeline Tham set up a motorcycle ride-hailing company in Manila after finding herself stuck in traffic for hours in the gridlocked Philippine capital.
An Angkas rider in the motorcycle ride-hailing service’s distinctive black and blue helmet and shirt. ST PHOTO: RAUL DANCEL
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Singaporean Angeline Tham was, by 2016, no stranger to the Philippines, having visited frequently for business for three years.

Still, it was jarring for her to find herself wasting six hours on the road in Metro Manila commuting between meetings. There must be an easier, faster way to get from point A to B, she thought.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 12, 2019, with the headline Singaporean 'mumshie' has an app way of tackling Manila's traffic nightmare. Subscribe