Da Nang has temporarily suspended taxies and contracted vehicles with under nine seats and motorbikes, including ride-hailing tech apps, from passenger transport and goods delivery services since on May 17 until further notice. As observed by DNO reporters, passenger transport businesses like Grab and delivery people on motorbikes, known locally as “shippers,” have been strictly complied with this suspension order.

Postal and courier services such as providing mail and parcel services, parcels licensed by competent authorities are still allowed to operate normally.

The suspension came after contact tracing efforts in the city had revealed that several people working for taxis and other ride-hailing services were infected with the coronavirus after making contact with confirmed cases.

In recent days, many streets in the city inner, therefore, have turned really tranquil with a few of road users, especially rail-hailing drivers and shippers.

As an employee of a raid-hailing company, Mr Tran Van Phu, a resident in An Hai Dong Ward, Son Tra District said that, although the municipal administration’s suspension may affect his personal income, especially his family’s livelihoods, he and his colleagues have still strictly complied with it in a bid to curb the COVID-19 spread.

The municipal Department of Information and Communications has also requested functional local agencies to support the temporary locking of passenger transport and goods delivery apps for the sake of coronavirus prevention and control missions.

Businesses that apply technologies to launch transport services such as Grab, Be, Gojek, FastGo, MyGo, Vato, Now, Loship, Baemin and Ahamove and food delivery service providers have suspended their app operations.

Meanwhile, postal and courier services such as providing mail and parcel services, parcels licensed by competent authorities are still allowed to operate normally.

A total of about 25 businesses and organisations (including their branches and representative offices) which specialise in postal and delivery services in Da Nang are still allowed to operate normally under the guidance of the municipal Department of Information and Communications.

Amongst the licenced businesses are Viettel Post Da Nang, Fast Delivery Service JSC, Giao Hang Tet Kiem (Fast Delivery Service) JSC, TNT Express Worldwide and Phuong Trang FUTA Express.

Online order volume up two or three times

In the current complicated developments of the COVID-19 wave, many people in Da Nang have carried out online orders of what they want on sale at citywide markets, supermarkets and convenient stores, instead of making in-person purchases.

As reported, Co.opmart Da Nang, in recent days, has seen the volume online orders by its customers going up 300 - 400%. In a similar vein, the number of online orders received by the Thu Bon Mart cooperative has been three times higher than before.

Similarly, Danavi Mart has recorded an increase of 30-50% in online orders as compared to before on its website: https://www.sieuthidanavimart.com.

Reporting by PHUONG UYEN, VAN HOANG- Translating by A.T