Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Motorbike taxi services are used not only bytech-savvy riders of any age but also by many millennials who love having aconvenient ride home amid rush-hour traffic.
Compared to traditional xe om services,GrabBike and UberMoto offer more benefits, including reasonable prices,convenient booking, cleaner helmets, transparent receipts and no bargaining.
“I feel safer when I know who’s giving me a ridein advance – what their name is and how they look and what their bike platesare,” Tran Quy, 24, a frequent user of UberMoto, told Vietnam News.
Since complaints and suggestions can be sent tothe companies’ service centres and most are handled professionally, whowouldn’t like grabbing their phone and using the service right away?
Besides app users, motorbike taxi drivers whohave signed up for the service have more opportunities to pick up passengersand earn stable incomes.
Tam Lam, a customer from Thua Thien Hue province,visited HCM City and booked a motorbike taxi at Mien Dong Bus Station in BinhThanh District to District 12.
“If I were to get a traditional xe om,it would cost me 200,000 VND (8.9 USD) to take me and my wife on one bike toDistrict 12. But with GrabBike, I can save half the cost and we each have ourown ride,” he told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon)newspaper.
To book a motorbike taxi, users download theapp, choose the pick-up and drop-off destinations, and wait for a confirmationcall. Most available xe om drivers in the area can reachriders within 10 minutes.
Since there are more than two companies thatoffer app-based motorbike taxi services, the price is competitive, givingpassengers more incentives to choose one service over another.
Specifically, while GrabBike takes 12,000 VND (0.5USD) for the first three kilometres and 3,800 VND (0.17 USD) for each kilometreafterwards, Uber charges 3,700 VND (0.16 USD) for each kilometre plus 200 VND(0.009 USD) each minute.
Uber’s minimum charge per round is 10,000 VND (0.44USD) and its cancellation cost is 5,000 VND (0.22 USD).
Xe om is a familiar mode of transportation in big cities such asHCM City and Hanoi, due to its convenience and costs.
It is preferable for people who travel shortdistances and want to avoid crowded streets at peak hours.
Because local demand for the xe om ishigh and the job requires nothing but a driver with a bike and a drivinglicense, more people, especially those with low incomes, are joining thebusiness.
Technically, anyone can be a xe om driver.But with Uber or Grab, anyone from a university student to an office worker cando the job without necessarily thinking that they can live on the earnings.
Fierce competition between app-based drivers andtraditional xe om drivers has made it difficult fortraditional drivers to earn much.
Nguyen Van Cuong, a traditional xe om driverwhose wife is a factory worker, said that he could no longer make enough moneyto pay rent or buy enough milk for his children.
“If I can’t earn 200,000 VND per day, I’m onfire.” he said.
Tot, Cường’s colleague, said that he used tohave many passengers, including housewives going to the market every morningand office workers to eateries every afternoon.
“I used to earn enough to cover my family’smonthly expenses and even more to go drinking with friends every day. Now Ionly make enough to have a drink once a week,” he said.
Multiple clashes have occurred between app-basedmotorbike taxi drivers and traditional ones near Tan Son Nhat InternationalAirport and bus stations, where traditional xe om drivers tendto pick up passengers.
Since services provided by GrabBike and UberMotoare arguably better than their counterparts, more people have switched tocalling for motorbike taxis via apps.
Thus, traditional motorbike taxis need to stepup their game to refrain from getting kicked off the streets.
In fact, many of the drivers have chosen tobecome a part of Grab and Uber.
As Tet (Lunar New Year) holidayis approaching, the demand for xe om rides has increasedsignificantly, with more people needing to shop for the holidays.
Cuong, who began to lose money as atraditional xe om driver, said that he had recently joined theapp game.
“This Tet, I’m able to buy presentsfor relatives in my hometown. My children will be having new clothes as well!”he said.-VNA
VNA
