Tada offers S$1M in incentives to reward high-performing drivers, with more measures to come

Ride-hailing platform TADA is taking on competitors like Grab and Gojek with a new S$1 million pilot programme aimed at helping drivers avoid high-commission platforms, according to a press release on Dec 17.

The initiative, called Hotpot, is a “community-driven reward system” that awards drivers points for each trip they complete. It aims to attract drivers away from high-commission platforms that use algorithms to limit drivers’ earnings while driving up ride-hail fares, TADA noted.

The ride-hailing platform’s S$1 million investment will fund cash incentives. The points accumulated by drivers (TADA points) determine their eligibility for these rewards, distributed every Friday from 5PM to 10PM.

“There is a major disconnect in the ride-hailing industry with rigid business models that have gone unchallenged for far too long,” said TADA’s founder Kay Woo.

Since launching in Singapore in 2018, the platform has operated on a zero-commission model, charging drivers a fixed platform fee so they can retain a larger share of their earnings. The company also offers incentives for drivers who complete more trips during peak periods.

How Hotpot works

Drivers will be grouped based on their ranking: Gold for the top 20%, Silver for the next 30% and Bronze for the rest.

When all drivers collectively reach a target, e.g. 10,000 trips, participating drivers enjoy an Upsized Hotpot, receiving a two-times multiplier on their Group Rewards.

TADA highlighted that this mechanism shifts earnings from short-term, individual bonuses to a verifiable system in which collective effort directly enhances every driver’s income.

All contributions are transparently recorded on MVL’s blockchain, the public ledger maintained by TADA’s parent company, creating a tamper-proof record.

So far, over 27,000 drivers pledged to participate in TADA’s Hotpot initiative. The first week of the programme ended last Friday, with over 8,000 TADA drivers participating and completing nearly 29,000 trips, the Business Times reported.

The ride-hailing platform said pledged drivers earned more than 1.5 times compared to non-pledged drivers, with TADA contributing nearly S$260,000 in driver and rider incentives.

MVL and TADA added that the Hotpot initiative represents the first step towards their long-term vision.

The next phase, set for early 2026, will introduce community-driven decision-making and allocate additional capital to expand the initiative across Southeast Asia. TADA currently operates in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Also Read: Grab and GoTo’s potential merger marks the death of Southeast Asia’s super-app dream

Featured Image Credit: TADA