THE ‘airasia ride’, which is the latest e-hailing service brought by the AirAsia Group Bhd, was officially launched in Penang today by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow together with airasia ride chief executive officer Lim Chiew Shan and SuperApp air asia head of delivery (e-Commerce) Lim Ben-Jie.
Chow warmly welcomed AirAsia’s decision to introduce its e-hailing service via airasia Super App to Penang as it could be a good alternative for tourists and Penangites to travel around.
“I am very pleased to know that Penang is one of the first and priority cities chosen by the AirAsia to launch its new ride-hailing service.
“On behalf of the state government, I would like to welcome airasia ride with open arms as it offers a competitive alternative for tourists and Penangites to commute with assured safety and security.
“I was also made to understand that there are also some unique options under the ‘driver selection’ whereby the riders are able to choose their drivers.
“They can choose the airasia pilots, cabin crew, female drivers as well as disabled drivers,’’ Chow said during his address prior to the flagging off ceremony.
Chow also said the arrival of the airasia ride would increase the demand for the e-hailing drivers.
“I urge those whose livelihoods have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic or those who are looking for a side income to take advantage of this opportunity.
“According to the airasia ride requirement, all the drivers must be fully vaccinated and would be tested for Covid-19 regularly which is crucial to ensure safety for everyone.
“I also hope that business owners and restaurant owners will take advantage of other opportunities offered by the airasia Super App such as the airasia food and airasia grocer to digitalise your business.
“We also look forward to airasia expanding more of its e-commerce business in Penang in future. The pandemic has caused the spearheading of the digital platform and Penang will definitely not want to be left behind in this digital journey,” he added.
Apart from that, Chow said AirAsia has been a sigficiant player in supporting Penang’s tourism and economic activities.
“We also hope that with the recovery of the pandemic situation and the expansion of the Penang International Airport (PIA), AirAsia would reconsider its previous plan of making PIA the regional low-cost carrier for the northern region as well as the surrounding countries,” said Chow.
Meanwhile, Chiew Shan said the airasia ride is focused on providing a “driver-forward” strategy that enables the drivers to improve their overall income and enjoy a better quality of life, with as much as 85% of the fee going directly to the drivers.
“Furthermore, they also have the flexibility to choose the frequency and volume of bookings according to their preference and availability.
“The airasia ride drivers will also have the added advantage of leveraging the airline brand to secure customers travelling to and from the airport.
“At the moment, there are more than 200 registered ‘airasia ride’ drivers in Penang and some 3,000 active drivers in the country,’’ said Lim, adding that passengers can get free rides daily from now until Nov 3 using the promo code FREERIDE.
On a separate matter, Chow said he hoped that with the recent announcement of the Budget 2022, it would bring about benefits to the targeted groups.
“We hope that those who qualify to receive the incentives from the budget allocation announced yesterday, will make the necessary application,”he said.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Law Suun Ting
Video by Chan Kok Kuan