Vietnam is fast-becoming part of the global apps market. While mobile games like ‘Flappy Bird’ have garnered the most press, more utilitarian apps are becoming popular, especially the taxi-hailing variety.
Becoming an increasingly popular way to book taxi cabs around the country, these apps help users find nearby taxis, and smart GPS systems calculate distances and estimated fares, reports Tuoi Tre.
Benefits of using the apps have been reported by passengers and drivers alike. Beyond ease of use, if you accidentally leave your belongings in the taxi, it’s easy to contact the driver directly. Additionally, customers don’t have to fear that they’re being ripped off as the route is tracked and updated in real-time using Google Maps.
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Driver Phung Minh Duc told the paper that he noticed a 30% increase in the number of passengers since using the app. He knows exactly where to pick up the customer and no longer frets about other cabbies “stealing” customers from him.
GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi are the two major players in the space, originating in Malaysia and Brazil respectively. GrabTaxi was developed in 2012 by two Harvard Business School Graduates and the brains behind Easy Taxi, which is now available in 27 countries around the globe, was launched by tech firm Rocket Internet.
In addition to the big boys, new entrants into the scene are Tappxi and MyTaxiContact which are trying to gain more popularity among users in Vietnam.
The growing crowd has created fierce competition as the app’s technology and promotional campaigns are essentially the same.
GrabTaxi has recently stepped up its promotion game, giving parents who use the app a free ride provided their fare was less than VND50,000.
That’s all well and good but I’m looking forward to the day when this app will be available for booking xe oms.
[Tuoi Tre]
