Iskandar was eager to drive right after he got his licence. But with no family car, he was left wondering how he could explore his newly earned right to drive. 

With a friend’s insistence, he decided to give GetGo a try — and he hasn’t looked back since. This is a story of a power user who found joy in driving, thanks to the accessibility of GetGo.

How did you first discover GetGo? 

Iskandar: When I first got my licence, I wasn’t aware that there was a year-long probation period. That instantly shut down a lot of other car rental options for me.

I was researching the options available, and my friend recommended that I try GetGo because of how fast the sign-up process was. Luckily, I had already turned 25 when I got my licence and was able to sign-up.

I remember my first booking with GetGo was with the Mazda 3, which was conveniently located just behind my house.

Why do you use GetGo? What keeps you coming back? 

Iskandar: My family doesn’t own a car, so many of our car experiences were through ride-hailing services. When I got the vocation of ambulance driver during NS, my parents were really excited because I was going to get my driving licence.

I was eager to get driving, yet had no car to drive because of the probation period for car rental companies. That was until I heard about GetGo.

My initial bookings were mostly for post-midnight leisure drives.

As I started to use the service more often, I realised that many errands that were once inconvenient to run were now easy to complete.

Given that my mum is quite old, it’s now a necessity for me to book a drive whenever she goes grocery shopping. I now use GetGo quite often when I need to run errands with my parents.

How has GetGo benefitted you?

Iskandar: I truly enjoy how accessible the cars are. There were times when there have been 7 or 8 cars in an area where I wanted to make a booking.

Before using the service, I wasn’t very interested in cars. Now, I really enjoy exploring the different options that are available in the fleet, and at a low cost too.

It has saved me a lot of time and has also given me peace of mind when it comes to transporting my family.

My mum actually feels quite uneasy when she’s in a car with someone unfamiliar. Now, she’s at peace knowing that I’m able to safely drive her where she needs to go, and this is very important to me.

What are the best memories you’ve had while using GetGo?

Iskandar: I’ve actually had quite a lot of good memories. Some of my favourites are when my friend and I would take turns booking a car to head out for futsal sessions. We would drive, play the match, and then head out again for a simple supper at a 24-hour eatery. What’s fun is that we never had to rush, as we always booked the car for a fair amount of time.

Another good memory is when I drove all around the island collecting my Carousell buys. It was really fun because it felt like a treasure hunt — I got to drive for about 4 to 5 hours, and at that moment, it felt like I owned the car.

Do you have a ritual or must-have before you start a drive?

Iskandar: Because GetGo uses the app to unlock a car, sometimes I still get anxious over my phone running out of battery and not being able to access the car. So, a portable charger is a must-have for me.

Another thing that’s important is having a good music playlist — otherwise my drives would feel quite dull.

Any tips for fellow GetGoers? 

Iskandar: I have a couple actually.

• Always take note of the car park situation at your destination, especially if you’re driving into town.
• If your drive includes picking up other passengers, always factor in the pick-up and drop-off times so you won’t be rushing to return the car at the end of your booking.

Anything else?

Iskandar: I think GetGo can be used in a very positive way, and those who have licences should take advantage of the resources available to them.

There are a lot of things we overspend on, and transportation is one of them. People should truly consider the financial benefits of using GetGo. For example, Hari Raya has changed for me since using GetGo — I can now drive more family members around. I think on average, I visit about 10 houses on Raya, and we always have a blast. What’s best is that I can split the cost with my family members, making the booking even more value for money.