In Saigon, GrabShare might make a comeback later in the year.
Back in May, popular ride-hailing apps Grab and Uber rolled out carpooling options for their services, called GrabShare and UberPOOL, respectively. According to the companies, this choice will both benefit drivers and passengers, as the former can earn more money per trip while the latter can save money on ride-booking.
Despite the initial positive reception from customers, the carpooling options only lasted one month before being banned by the Ministry of Transport, which cited risks for passengers as the reason for the ban.
However, it looks like things are changing, at least in Grab’s case. In July, the ministry requested that Saigon authorities review their carpooling service, according to Thanh Nien.
On September 5, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee released their assessment of the situation. Specifically, it noted the lack of current guidelines to govern the service, which involves two transport contracts in one trip.
However, the document also nods to the cost-effectiveness and convenience of carpooling and the positive effect the mode of transport has on Saigon’s traffic.
Therefore, city authorities suggested allowing the service on a trial basis for a year while maintaining a quota on participating vehicles in order to facilitate management. Moreover, only cars with nine seats and below will be able to carpool, and each trip can only service two bookings.
[Photo via VIR]
