Taxi giant ComfortDelGro is muscling into the booming food delivery business with ComfortDelivery, which capitalises on the company's fleet of around 10,000 cabs to make deliveries for food and beverage (F&B) outlets.
Until now, the taxi operator has relied on third parties, such as Foodpanda and Ninja Van, to take on deliveries.
ComfortDelGro said yesterday that its delivery service is available daily from 9am to 10pm, and "was set up specifically to assist ComfortDelGro Taxi cabbies during the Covid-19 pandemic".
The service has been on trial with restaurants such as The Peranakan and The Straits Clan's Kin since last Thursday to iron out teething issues.
F&B firms can sign up with ComfortDelivery at cdgtaxi.com.sg/comfortdelivery.
Deliveries will be charged a distance-based rate starting at $6.50. Outlets that book cabbies for two drop-offs in one booking pay a discounted rate starting at $8.50.
Unlike other food delivery services, "all fees go directly to the cabbies' pockets", ComfortDelGro said.
"There will be no fee imposed on either the cabbies or the F&B outlets during the circuit breaker period, which ends on June 1, 2020," it noted.
However, The Straits Times understands there may be a small "platform fee" after June 1.
F&B businesses with more than one outlet will need to set up separate accounts for each pick-up location. About 20 orders of up to three different destinations per order can be made at any one time.
Cabbies will bid for the delivery jobs via the ComfortDelivery Driver App.
Upon collection, the food outlet just needs to pay the cabby through PayNow or by cash.
Through the platform, the outlet can track the location of the taxi and the time at which the cabby delivers the order.
ComfortDelGro Taxi chief executive Ang Wei Neng said: "ComfortDelivery provides an affordable delivery service for all F&B owners, starting from $6.50 per trip.
"As a company, we are not taking any fee from either the F&B outlet or the cabby during the circuit breaker period. What the merchant pays is what the cabby receives."
This way, he said, its drivers can "earn some extra income during these very challenging times".
ComfortDelGro said around 2,000 of its cabbies have expressed interest in doing food delivery.
Among them is Mr Henry Tay. But the 49-year-old, who has been driving a cab for more than 10 years, said many drivers are worried about cancellations should there be delays in a delivery.
