SINGAPORE (May 5): Grab has more than 100,000 drivers in Singapore, nearly 50,000 of whom are GrabHitch drivers.

And the number of GrabHitch drivers has grown 50% m-o-m for the past four months.

Grab does not keep count of the number of luxury cars in its service, but anecdotal evidence suggests this number is substantial and growing.

That’s because Grab drivers do it to meet people, drivers polled by The Edge Singapore say.

In fact, GrabHitch was designed as a social experience. “GrabHitch drivers and passengers can see if they share common friends via Facebook, and are encouraged to engage in conversations during the ride,” says a Grab spokesperson.

“More than 78% of GrabHitch drivers are working professionals who enjoy the social interaction and being part of the GrabHitch movement to contribute to a green future.”

On some routes, Grab says, there is a one-in-five chance that your ride will be a luxury car.

So could growing adoption of ride-hailing apps like RYDE and GrabHitch shrink the vehicle population further?

Grab and its competitor Uber have already shaken up the taxi industry, giving taxi drivers more options and forcing taxi companies to try different models.

Will carpools disrupt the industry further?

Check out State of the City in this week’s issue of The Edge Singapore (Issue 778, May 8) which is on sale now.