Go-Jek CEO Nadiem Makarim on stage at Tech in Asia Jakarta 2016.
Indonesia’s homegrown ride-hailing app Go-Jek followed through on its promise to enter a partnership with the country’s largest taxi operator, Blue Bird.
As of today, some Go-Jek users see a pop-up in their app announcing “Go-Car and Bluebird join forces.”
Screenshot made today by a user of Go-Jek’s iPhone app.
Go-Car, one of Go-Jek’s many transportation features, is just like Uber. It lets you order a private or rental car – mid-range to luxury – on the spot.
But it’s now possible that you get a Blue Bird cab instead, based on the partnership between Go-Jek and the taxi operator. If a cab happens to be closer than a Go-Car driver, it will come pick you up, for the same fixed rate and promotions offered by the ride-hailing app.
The feature, for now, seems to be only available to iPhone users and is limited to Jakarta. The app description in the App Store points out the update, but there’s no mention of it on Google Play.
Screenshot of Go-Jek’s app update description on the iOS app store today.
Overtaken by Uber
Go-Jek first announced plans for a partnership with Blue Bird about a year ago, but it’s been quiet ever since. What form the collaboration would take wasn’t clear either.
Then, toward the end of last year, Uber sped past Go-Jek. It launched its own tie-up with another big taxi company, Express. The way it works is very similar to what Go-Jek and Blue Bird are doing now.
Both startups could increase the numbers of cars in their networks dramatically if the trials proceed toward a full-fleet integration, possibly across several cities.
Blue Bird says it has some 23,000 cars across Indonesia, while Express has at least 11,000 vehicles under its banner.
For users who are not comfortable riding a cab and don’t mind waiting longer, Uber gives the option to cancel the booking. Go-Jek probably offers a similar option, though we weren’t able to catch a Blue Bird yet to test it out ourselves.
A Go-Jek spokesperson said the company would issue a statement as soon as “there is an update from us.”
See: How Go-Jek became a unicorn
This post Go-Jek’s linkup with taxi operator Blue Bird begins today appeared first on Tech in Asia.