Lyft teams up with Grab, Didi Kuaidi to provide rides outside their home markets

Uber may be the most recognizable brand in the ride-hailing space now, but its competitors aren’t about to let it go uncontested. US firm Lyft has just announced that its partnership with China’s Didi Kuaidi and Southeast Asia’s Grab – first made known late last year – is finally going online this week.

The program is still in its initial public beta phase, but Grab, Didi, and Lyft passengers traveling abroad will soon be able to request rides using the same app that they use at home. Lyft has worked behind-the-scenes to integrate its apps with its partners', which is why there is no need to download another app.

Didi passengers will stand to benefit from the new partnership first. Starting this week, users traveling to the US will be able to request a ride with Lyft. Grab customers will have to wait a while longer, but Lyft says that passengers traveling between Southeast Asia and the US will be able to leverage their collaboration in the coming weeks.

From a more local perspective, Grab may have said that it still wants to concentrate on regional markets, but this partnership allows it to focus its resources on growing locally, while still making things more convenient for its customers.

The move also highlights the two different strategies that ride-hailing companies are taking on the global stage – doing everything by themselves like Uber does, or forming alliances to offer its customers a better experience while circumventing the inherent logistical challenges of setting up shop elsewhere.

Source: Lyft

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