Car Rental Service in Singapore
10 Tips for using BlueSG
TIPS & TRICKS
BlueSG is the first 100% electric car rental service launched in Singapore. At the time of writing, there are 256 operational stations and 23 upcoming stations.
I started using BlueSG ever since its official launch on 12th December 2017. To date, I have spent $4314.84, an average of about $6.52 per day for the 661 days of usage (I don’t use it every day). This total amount includes all ERP fees incurred but excludes parking fees.
According to an article from Seedly, owning a first-hand car easily costs more than $50,000. Using such rental services allow those that may not yet have the budget to own a car, to still be able to drive one.
So, I am going to share 10 tips that I find useful when using BlueSG, assuming you have already signed up for an account.
1. Monthly Tier is for Frequent Drivers
For simple calculation’s sake, let’s say you drove a total of 2 hours for the entire month.
Monthly Tier: $0.33 x 2 hours x 60 minutes = $39.60
Free Tier: $0.50 x 2 hours x 60 minutes = $60.00
If you will drive 2 hours or more per month, you have already broken even the Monthly Tier fee!
2. Ensure a Parking Lot first before Renting
You are allowed to reserve a parking lot for up to 45 minutes. Though at the moment you are not charged for cancellation of it (Jan 2020 there will be a new ruling to charge reservation lot bookings), you may still risk having your reservation lot being “popped” to other users once you cancel. So my best advice is to ensure you have other alternative stations to park or ensure your trip is less than 45 minutes.
3. Use the Rent Button
Being able to Rent directly from your app saves you some time, assuming you have already booked your parking lot. You save the trouble of having the need to tap your card on the kiosk. Moreover, you can also select a car with more power charged.
4. Use the same card
Assuming that you may need to use an external carpark with EPS (Electronic Parking System), you will need to slot in a card with NETS CashCard/Ez-Link enabled. Try using the same card which you paired to BlueSG so you will never forget leaving the card in the car’s IU reader.
5. Download Parking.sg App
Parking.sg iOS App and Android App is a useful app to help you pay carpark fees in carparks without EPS.
6. Report Accident/Incident
Driving BlueSG is like driving any other vehicles where you may be met with unforeseen circumstances. In the event that you damage the car without other parties involved, it is best to report the incident within 24 hours so that you won’t be charged a no-report fee, and you could get better insurance coverage via their website, or call them immediately.
If the vehicle broke down on a highway, its best to call LTA at 1800–2255 582 first, let them tow the car to an open space free of charge, and at the same time inform BlueSG to pick up the car for you.
7. Consider Other Services for Long Rentals
If you are considering to drive the car to Malaysia or for a long period of more than 2–3 hours, BlueSG is not a good option. Firstly, BlueSG cannot be driven overseas at the moment. Secondly, the battery may run out and you have no other charging points outside of Singapore.
You can try Smove which allows you to pick up at point A and drop off at point B as well. You can also try CarClub but pick up and drop off points have to be the same.
Alternatively, BlueSG also has newly launched 3 hours & 5 hours packages.
8. Join Facebook Groups
Follow their official group page to participate in promotions to earn you free driving hours. You can also join this users group which I’m part of for some healthy discussions on being a BlueSG driver with good driving etiquette. The admin also proactively updates us with the latest station!
9. BlueSG Tracker
I have personally developed an online Tracker Tool to monitor your year’s usage. It is very much still a work in progress. Feel free to drop your comments on how to improve it further in the facebook page.
10. Be Responsible
Finally, if we are all responsible drivers, who treat each car like our own during the rental, it will definitely provide a great experience at large.
Few main pain points that may inconvenient next user:
1. DO NOT leave the car with headlights on:
2. DO NOT park the car too close to other vehicles
3. DO NOT front park, instead, reverse park
4. DO NOT off the silent horn, as it helps alert nearby pedestrians.
5. DO NOT criss-cross the wires
6. DO NOT pay non-incurred parking fee innocently
Press intercom to request exit, or if in a rush, pay and send BlueSG transaction screenshot.
7. Get a handy Dash Cam
A dashcam installed can sometimes help you catch hit-and-run culprits, or help you to report other incidents along the road. If you have some extra cash to invest, you could try getting one Xiaomi Dash Cam.
That’s all I have to share in this article. I hope your driving experience will be good and feel free to comment if you have!
