Cook Islands Gets New Ride-Hailing App as Smartie Rides Expands Transport Options in Rarotonga

Written By: Subhankar Chakraborty

Subhankar Chakraborty

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September 9, 2026 12:13 PM

A new transport choice has been introduced in the Cook Islands with Smartie Rides in Rarotonga now available to residents and visitors. The locally developed ride-hailing platform has been launched as a home-grown alternative to international services such as Uber and Grab, while bookings can be made directly through the Smartie app.

The development matters for travellers because another digital option has been added to the island’s existing transport landscape, with pricing positioned as competitive and access designed around mobile booking conveniently. Food delivery is already offered through Smartie, while tours are also scheduled to join the platform this month.

A Home-Grown Ride-Hailing Platform Built in Rarotonga

Smartie Rides has been developed in Rarotonga rather than imported from a major overseas technology market. According to founder and chief executive Brett Baudinet, the launch was intended to demonstrate that world-class technology could be created within the Pacific. He said ride-hailing technology was often assumed to originate in places such as Silicon Valley, Sydney or Singapore, but the platform had instead been built on the island.

How Rides Can Be Booked Through the Smartie App

Through the service, rides can be requested and booked from the Smartie app. Access has been opened to both locals and visitors, giving the platform a clear role among transport options in Rarotonga. The company has presented the launch as evidence that local technology development can be pursued from a small island market while serving practical everyday travel needs. It has also been described as a home-grown alternative to international ride-hailing names such as Uber and Grab.

Affordability Shapes the New Cook Islands Transport Service

Affordability has been placed at the centre of the new service. Baudinet said Smartie Rides had been designed to cost less than traditional taxi transport on the island. He argued that high transport costs could discourage residents from choosing paid transport, including when a journey home was needed after a night out.

The ride-hailing service in the Cook Islands has therefore been positioned around both price and access. Baudinet said people could face an unsafe choice when driving their own vehicle appeared more affordable than paying for transport. In his view, a safe journey home should not be treated as a luxury. For people getting around Rarotonga, Smartie is being offered as another bookable transport choice through a mobile app, with competitive rates highlighted as part of the service. Its pricing approach has been linked directly to the founder’s concern that paid transport should remain attainable when people need an alternative to driving themselves.

Visitor Uptake, Smartie Tours and the Super-App Model

Visitor response was reported as strong following a soft launch. Baudinet said users had reacted positively to the ride experience, pricing and the convenience of accessing several services through one application. That early uptake has been cited by the company as the service moves into wider availability.

Smartie already operates a food delivery service, meaning rides and food ordering can be accessed from the same app. Smartie Tours is due to be launched this month, after which rides, food delivery and tours will sit within the company’s super-app model. For travellers interested in local travel in the Cook Islands, the arrangement brings several Smartie services together within one digital platform rather than separating them across different applications. The company’s approach is being built around a single-app experience, with different services being added under one Smartie identity as the platform develops.

The service is available on both iOS and Android, allowing users to access Smartie Rides through widely used mobile operating systems. No separate booking process has been described in the information provided; rides are requested directly through the Smartie app.

The addition broadens the digital transport options in Rarotonga at a time when the company is also expanding the range of services contained within its app. Smartie has said that potential exists for the platform to be taken into other Pacific island markets in the future, although no destinations or launch dates have been announced.

For visitors getting around Rarotonga, the immediate change is straightforward: another app-based transport service can now be used on the island. The launch also adds a locally developed platform to local travel in the Cook Islands, while future expansion remains only an ambition stated by the company. Although wider Pacific growth has been mentioned, the current service is centred on Rarotonga, where app-based rides are already available.

Conclusion

The launch of Smartie Rides in Rarotonga has added a locally built digital service to the island’s transport offering. Rides can now be requested through the Smartie app by both residents and visitors, while the platform has also been connected with its existing food delivery service.

Smartie Tours is due to be introduced this month, extending the company’s super-app approach. Competitive pricing and mobile access have been placed at the centre of the ride-hailing service in the Cook Islands. For travellers considering getting around Rarotonga, the service now provides another locally developed option for arranging paid transport more easily locally.