Easy Taxi has launched Easy Taxi Premium in Singapore, joining fellow booking platforms Uber and GrabTaxi in offering private hire limousines to commuters here, reported The Business Times.

Its six and seven-seater limousines - private cars not marked as taxis - will boost the supply of vehicles for hire especially during peak hours and weekends, said the Rocket Internet-backed company. It is understood that vehicles used will include the Toyota Alphard, Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes Viano.

"Easy Taxi Premium will boost the supply of vehicles for hire especially during peak hours and weekends, and complement the current taxi fleet to provide more choices for commuters and more income for drivers," said Regional General Manager Jianggan Li. "Based on market research, there is substantial demand here for private car hires," he added.

The base fare for the service is S$55, with every additional stop costing S$10 each. There is also a charge of S$10 per 15 minutes for additional waiting, according to Easy Taxi. Commuters can choose to pay by Easy Taxi Pay, an in-app payment system which charges the fares to their credit or debit cards via their smartphones.

Singapore is reportedly the first country in the world to enjoy Easy Taxi Premium; it is also Easy Taxi's largest market in Asia in terms of total fare transacted, and its second largest globally (after Brazil) in terms of cashless transactions.