Uber’s Southeast Asian rival, Grab, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Honda in a bid to enhance the benefits for GrabBike drivers and riders in all countries where GrabBike operates. Honda has also made a strategic investment in Grab, as part of the partnership.

The partnership aims to collaborate on driver education programs to promote motorbike safety, efforts to reduce congestion in urban areas through rideshare and other technological advancements and initiatives.

“In the midst of the dramatic structural change of the mobility industry, the ‘sharing economy’ that is rapidly expanding all around the world has great potential to broaden the concept of mobility itself,” said Honda director Shinji Aoyama. “For the collaboration with Grab, we will discuss how we can offer safer and more convenient products and services for our shared goal of resolving issues and challenges facing society in Southeast Asia.”

Grab continues to show rapid growth in Southeast Asia – currently offering on-demand transportation across six countries and 34 cities in the region. It completed a $750m (£580m) funding round in September.

At the end of November, Grab introduced Credits to GrabPay – which enables customers to top-up their balances through local banks, ATMs, store and online.