SINGAPORE, July 6 — The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s (CCCS) investigation into the merger between Grab and Uber found that the former had raised fares and commission rates here following its acquisition of Uber’s regional business, with "numerous complaints” received from riders and drivers.

The competition watchdog said in a media release on Thursday (July 5) that it also found evidence that Uber would not have exited the Singapore market in the "near to medium term” if not for the deal. The ride-hailing firm would either have continued its operations or merged its South-east Asian businesses with other potential buyers, and not its competitors.

It also noted that Uber had entered into an agreement with ComfortDelGro to introduce UberFlash — a product providing riders with the closest available ride, either a private hire car or ComfortDelGro taxi — to compete with Grab. The transaction was only withdrawn after the merger, said the watchdog.

"Without sufficient competition post-Transaction, Grab would be able to raise fares for riders and commission rates for drivers, lower the quality of its services and reduce innovating its product offerings,” said the CCCS, which noted that Grab and Uber’s customers and competitors had also raised such concerns.