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| Taxis in Ho Chi Minh City’s streets__Photo: Hoang Hai/VNA |
The impressive debut of Uber, an American taxi app service, in Ho Chi Minh City in July, which has recently expanded to Hanoi, has received both support and protest from the public, triggering a major concern about the legality of this ridesharing service in the country.
The San Francisco-based service, which arranges rides between riders and drivers through a mobile phone application allowing customers to request rides and track their reserved vehicle’s location, has received enthusiastic support from riders for its convenience and lower fares. But it has also encountered protest from traditional taxi operators and management authorities regarding its legitimacy and safety.
A convenient, low-cost service
To get a Uber taxi, a rider merely needs a mobile phone installed with Uber app to connect with drivers and a credit card to pay for the service. When a rider registers his trip by starting up the Uber app, the app immediately tells him about the fare, the arriving car with a specific number plate and the driver, even his photo. The rider can track the car on his phone while waiting for it. After using the service, the rider will pay the fare with a credit card, 80 percent of which comes to the car owner and 20 percent to Uber...
