The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has recently issued a dispatch to require GrabTaxi to delay the implementation of the pilot run for GrabCar in Da Nang.  The service will be postponed until the municipal Department of Transport gives its approval.

In January, the Ministry issued a decision giving the GrabCar company the green light to pilot its GrabCar ride-hailing service in 5 provinces and cities, namely Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa and Quang Ninh, until 2018.  The service soon received high appreciation from users due to its convenience and its meeting the trend for development of scientific and technological applications in transport activities.

However, the Da Nang authorities asked the Ministry for permission to delay the implementation of the project on the city’s streets.  The main reason given was that other licensed taxi companies already have as many as 1,700 cars in circulation on the city’s streets, and the pilot run for GrabCar without proper preparation would disrupt the city’s taxi planning and worsen traffic congestion.