Tribecar Launches Car Rental Service for New Drivers Under 23

(Photo Credit: Tribecar)

Singapore car rental start-up Tribecar, famous for its rates being as low as $2 an hour, has launched a new car rental service for new drivers under the age of 23.

With Chinese New Year just over a week from now, new drivers under the age of 23 without family cars are usually stuck in a common predicament in terms of getting around for house visits.

Public transport is a favoured choice by many, but it can be unreliable at times, not to mention time-consuming and tiresome. It can be made even more difficult if you have young children or the elderly travelling with you.

Another option is taxis and private-hire services, like Grab and Go-Jek. However, during the festive season, demand for such services usually outstrips the supply, and prices can rocket to put a serious dent on your Ang bao collection.

The obvious solution would be to rent a car. However, most, if not all car rental companies, will not rent their vehicles to new, inexperienced drivers for obvious safety concerns. That is, until now!

Tribecar, a car and motorcycle rental start-up based in Singapore, announced on Monday (21 Jan) that new drivers will be allowed to rent its cars by the hour under a new scheme. New drivers are usually classified by most car rental companies as under the age of 23 or with less than two years of driving experience.

Tribecar will start off the new service with a basic fleet of economical cars across the country, which it will be increasing in numbers over the coming days to keep up with demand this Lunar New Year. The fleet will include popular rental cars such as the Hyundai Avante, Toyota Altis, Mazda 3 and Mitsubishi Lancer.

Speaking about the new service, Mr Adrian Lee, Co-founder of Tribecar said, “Our vision is to make vehicle rental accessible, affordable and safer for everyone in Singapore. We noticed an increased demand for car rental services among drivers who have recently received their driving licence, and saw an opportunity to serve the market.”

With this new service, any person who recently received his or her driving license will be able to rent cars from Tribecar.

He added, “As the first car-sharing operator that caters to new drivers, we hope to bridge the gap by giving them the opportunity to utilise their newly minted licenses at affordable rates.”

The process for new drivers to start using this service is simple and fuss-free. All they need to do is register with their Singapore NRIC and driving licence and pay a security deposit of $200. For experienced drivers, the deposit is only $100. When a car is reserved, drivers can pick up and drop off the car at the same location when they are done.

There is a catch though, the rates for new drivers would be considerably higher than those of experienced drivers. This is due to the higher cost of insurance premiums that is required for new drivers.

Those interested in renting cars from Tribecar can click here for the online rate calculator on Tribecar's website.

According to Tribecar, cars that new drivers can rent are currently only available at certain locations near MRT stations, namely Chai Chee, Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East, Punggol and Seng Kang.

(Screenshot: Tribecar)

However, when we checked on their website today (25 Jan), the map showed all but one of the locations listed above, Chai Chee, the only stated location in the South-eastern part of Singapore. Instead, it is been replaced with a new location, at Bukit Panjang.

Once a driver turns 23 and has had more than two year’s experience behind the wheel, they would have access to over 370 Tribecar vehicles at over 270 locations across Singapore.

Read more: 5 Reasons Not to Provide or Patronize Illegal Car Rental Services in Singapore

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