SINGAPORE — Amid grouses by the first batch of Tengah residents on the lack of amenities and transport options, Grab on Thursday (June 13) said it is mapping out the town on foot and by car as it is being constructed. 

This is to ensure food deliveries and passenger pick-ups can be successfully carried out, the technology firm said.  

Grab is undertaking this initiative because the Tengah HDB estate is designated as a “car-lite” town with fewer parking spaces, and more walking and cycling connections. 

To that end, Grab is ensuring that amid the network of walking paths and newly opened roads, its delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers are able to navigate the area more proficiently. 

“Grab is using its proprietary mapping technology to update maps with Tengah’s evolving network of roads and points of interests, to ease residents’ concerns around the difficulties of navigating roads amidst ongoing construction and finding the right pick-up and drop-off points,” said Grab in a statement on Thursday.

Adviser to Hong Kah North Grassroots Organisations Amy Khor, who attended the media event announcing this initiative, said Grab’s initiative will complement efforts by government agencies to improve transport connectivity at Tengah. 

“Residents will benefit from this initiative that can help make deliveries and ride-hailing bookings more timely,” said Dr Khor, who is also Senior Minister of State for Transport. 

To map out the area visually, Grab staff have been plodding around walking paths at Tengah weekly since March, carrying backpacks mounted with camera devices.  

The device — the KartaCam — has a camera on each of its four sides, creating a 360-degree view of every footpath and road in the vicinity.

“The KartaCam backpack enables better mapping of footpaths through green spaces, and allows detailed surveys of corridors and entrances in Tengah,” said Grab.

“This is especially beneficial for delivery partners who travel on foot or on bicycles, as they can now choose the most efficient path to their destinations.”

The bag and camera weigh approximately 6kg, and with a stand supporting it, and the camera is about 2m above ground when worn by an adult. 

Grab will then use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the images to map out the area, said head of product for maps at Grab Sunny Wijewardana. 

“We will get the images out of the camera, and then we will extract all the information out of it, and then code that into a map that is used for all our deliveries,” he said. 

For instance, traffic lights and road signs will be picked up by AI and such information will be added to the map data. 

The information will then be used to map out points of interest, including lift lobbies, to help food delivery riders complete their deliveries. 

“With a new area like this, our customers may have issues finding the right drop off point, or pick up point, they might have issues with getting the right delivery coming to their house as well,” said Mr Wijewardana. 

“So, we want to take the initiative and we want to be proactive and resolve any of these problems before they happen.” 

6 TENGAH TOWNS FULLY MAPPED

Grab is also mapping out the roads of Tengah on a weekly basis by mounting the KartaCam device on a car, to ensure that its ride-hailing drivers can better locate passengers. 

During a car ride through Tengah, CNA found that some roads within the towns that appear on other map applications were actually still under construction and not open to the public yet. 

“(Tengah) is rapidly changing. Every week, there is a new road being completed, there’s a new building, new U-turns being put in, and we want to be as accurate as possible for customers,” said Grab’s managing director Yee Wee Tang. 

“We want to make sure that when passengers book a car, it is matched to the exact location, or else there are a lot of disputes.”

Both mapping initiatives are under GrabMaps, which collects location-based services and mapping data across Southeast Asia. It was launched by Grab in 2022. 

Since March, Grab fully mapped six precincts in Tengah, which comprise over 10km of roads and footpaths and nearly 160 points of interest such as lift lobbies, HDB blocks and a list of businesses in Tengah's new town. 

As of June, these six precincts are the first to be completed, out of 22 planned HDB precincts. 

“Grab will map new precincts in Tengah as HDB opens them for key collection, and continue to update the maps for the existing precincts as roads and points of interests develop,” it said.  

In addition to the mapping exercise, Grab will provide free delivery from over 2,000 F&B outlets and grocery stores to Tengah residents from June 14 until the end of the year.

The firm said this is to ensure residents have access to a wider variety of food choices while malls and restaurants open up over time. 

At the event, Dr Khor said that some amenities at Tengah are set to open soon. Plantation Plaza, for example, the first neighbourhood centre in Tengah, has been completed and the supermarket and food court will be the first to open later this month. 

One Tengah resident said that he welcomes Grab's initiative to offer free deliveries but is taking a “wait and see” approach to whether connectivity in the area will improve. 

Real estate consultant Loh Zhenhao said that booking ride-hailing apps out of Tengah has been “difficult”, with wait times stretching to an hour before a driver accepts his ride, even when he books on a variety of platforms. 

He is holding his breath on whether the mapping initiative will improve things.

“It’s hypothetical to say now, because I haven't experienced it,” said the 40-year-old. “I can only tell you once I experience it.” CNA

CNA editor's note: This article has been amended to correct the number of planned HDB precincts in Tengah, after Grab amended the information it initially provided.