HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — GrabTaxi, Didi Kuaidi, Lyft and Ola have teamed up to allow customers to book cabs on each other's taxi-hailing apps in all markets they operate.

Ola operates in India, Didi Kuaidi in China and Lyft in the US. GrabTaxi has a presence across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Viet Nam, and Thailand.

Together they cover nearly all of Southeast Asia, India, China, and the US, or nearly 50 per cent of the world's population, the companies said in a joint press release.

The joint partner products will start rolling out in the first quarter of next year.

Under the new alliance, the companies plan to share technology, local market knowledge, and business resources. Each country will handle mapping, routing, and payments through a secure API, the release says.

The alliance is an extension of the strategic partnership forged in September between China's largest taxi app Didi Kuaidi and Lyft. — VNS