BlaBlaCar launched a ride-sharing search service in Vietnam

The French platform has started operating in the Vietnamese market and offers intercity ridesharing with shared fuel and toll costs.

The French service BlaBlaCar has launched a ridesharing platform in Vietnam: drivers post an already planned route and available seats in the car, while passengers can join the trip and compensate part of the costs. Unlike Grab, Be, and Green SM, the driver here does not accept a ride request but travels along their own route.

Vietnam has become one of 20 new markets that BlaBlaCar added as part of the company’s largest international expansion in the past decade. The Vietnamese version of the website and app began operating in early August.

The service already highlights several popular routes: Ho Chi Minh City — Vung Tau, Hanoi — Hai Phong, Da Nang — Hue, and Nha Trang — Da Lat. The amount of compensation is calculated taking into account distance, fuel, vehicle wear and tear, and tolls, and the recommended amount can be adjusted by the driver within a set range. At the same time, the model is intended specifically for cost compensation rather than profit-making.

In a test search by Tuổi Trẻ, a trip from the Hiep Binh area in Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat Airport for two passengers was priced at 24,000 dong. By comparison, Grab showed 76,000–100,000 dong for a car, while Be showed 70,000–90,000. At the same time, BlaBlaCar requires arranging the trip with the driver in advance, whereas cars from taxi services are available almost immediately.

For now, the number of available rides in Vietnam remains small. Among the issues that still need to be resolved as the service develops are the legal status of ridesharing, insurance, and the responsibility of the parties in the event of an accident or dispute.

Source: https://news.tuoitre.vn/blablacar-launches-carpooling-service-in-vietnam-103260809184724441.htm