Ride-hailing platform Throo, the New York brand for Singapore-based parent company Tada, debuted in New York City on June 29, the app announced. Throo has been authorized by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, according to the company.
Throo said it takes no percentage-based commission from drivers, as some other ride-hailing apps do. Instead, the company said it charges a fixed fee per ride, which it says allows for "drivers to keep more earnings for each trip" and for "more predictable fares for riders."
The company also has what it termed "controlled surge pricing," which means fares are "adjusted modestly" during periods of high demand, but "those adjustments always operate within tight, pre-defined limits," according to Throo. "Because our earnings don't grow when fares rise, we have no incentive to let prices climb."
Corporate accounts are not part of the New York offering as they are in other Tada markets, but the company said it "will be bringing this to NYC in due course."
Grab is the dominant ride-hailing app in Singapore, according to S&P Global, but Indonesian-based Gojek along with Tada, Ryde and Zig are competitors.