SINGAPORE (June 2): Ride hailing app Grab is expanding its reach beyond its Southeast Asia home market via a tie-up with Lyft in the United States.

Starting Thursday, Grab users can book rides in more than 200 US cities where Lyft operates, using their Grab app. Conversely, Lyft users can book rides using their existing apps in 30 cities in six Southeast Asian countries.

Last December, a multi-party rideshare agreement was announced by Didi Chuxing, Grab, Lyft and Ola. The tie-up between Grad and Lyft is the first to be launched.

The parties involved claims a reach of nearly half the world’s population, including the millions who travel from one region to another.

Citing the World Travel and Tourism Council, Grab and Lyft note that last year, total international arrivals in Southeast Asia hit 106 million. This number is projected to hit nearly 200 million over the next decade.

Grab and Lyft say the partnership gives their users, who travel overseas, the capability to book rides and not worry about the local currency, language, setting up new payment accounts and also the need to download a new app.

“Grab has always put the freedom of choice, flexibility and convenience in the hands of our customers, including providing a seamless travel experience across borders, as we seek to outserve our users,” said Tan Hooi Ling, Co-Founder of Grab.

“This partnership with Lyft is another step to enable seamless international travel, and it combines the strength and reach of our companies to cross-share learnings and leverage the best services in each local market for the benefit of our users,” she adds.

“As more and more people travel to and from the US and Southeast Asia, our work with Grab gives travellers peace of mind when abroad,” says Kristina Gibson, head of international product for Lyft. “Our goal is to provide passengers with a seamless experience.”