ComfortDelGro's comfortable pandemic progress

ComfortDelGro operates in six countries around the world, but its business in Singapore counts for over 55% of its revenue. While Grab and Gojek hit the Covid speed bump in SE Asia, what's making the taxi/bus/metro operating company chug along?

ComfortDelGro has sat atop a transport empire in Singapore, operating everything from taxis to buses to trains

The emergence of Grab and now Gojek has slowed its taxi business as riders and drivers jump ship

But Covid-19 has been a great leveller in making the playing field more even for ComfortDelGro against Grab and Gojek

There’s also an ace it has up its sleeve against these ride-hailing upstarts—public transport

With the pandemic putting a stop to international air travel for the most part this year, every country in Southeast Asia pushed for ways to promote domestic air travel. Except Singapore.

That’s because Singapore is so small it has no domestic air travel. What it does have though are taxis, buses, and the metro.

Singapore has been pushing for Singaporeans to spend time travelling within the island nation this year. The idea, as Chaly Mah, Singapore Tourism Board Chairman, said in a recent interview interview CNBC Singapore launches domestic travel campaign amid coronavirus: Tourism board chairman Read more , is to get Singaporeans to spend S$34 billion (US$25 billion)—the amount they spent travelling overseas last year—within the country.

AUTHOR

Benjamin Cher

Based in Singapore, Ben covers news and stories from the hub of Southeast Asia. He covers the intersection of technology and business, and how it affects Singapore and Southeast Asia. Ben was previously a reporter at The Edge Singapore.

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