inDriver, an international online ride-hailing service headquartered in Mountain View, California, and used by 39-million people across more than 300 cities, has launched a pilot program in Vietnam’s Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Gò Nổi to offer a unique and attractive alternative for residents to book rides.
The service, which becomes available today, offers the unique Real-Time Deal feature, allowing passengers to set their preferred fare and drivers to choose the most profitable and convenient orders. Nearby drivers who received ride request notifications have the freedom to choose either to accept the offered fare, ignore the offer, or bargain for a better price.
The Real-Time Deal model, which combats algorithms used by other ride-hailing companies that increase ride prices due to peak hours, traffic conditions, and request history, also ensures passengers are able to book rides at affordable rates at any time.
“Until today, taxi services in Đà Nẵng did not leave any choice for local residents when it came to the cost of the trip. Users were only offered to agree to the price specified in the application or on the taxi counter. inDriver came to change this situation. We want customers and drivers to independently and directly determine the fair and favorable price of each trip. Already today, residents of Đà Nẵng, using inDriver, will be able to make sure that the cost of travel can be lower than the usual prices,” Egor Fedorov, Chief Operating Officer of inDriver told Vietnam Insider.
The inDriver pilot program in Đà Nẵng aims to test the market and collect feedback. Initial findings show that ride prices became more attractive for passengers who used inDriver service. For example, users pay VND 37 000 for a ride from Nguyễn Văn Thoại 169 to Nguyễn Văn Linh 27 with inDriver.
It’s incredibly pedestrian-friendly, and is considered one of the safest cities in Asia.
Hoi An ancient town. @ Shutterstock/Tang Trung Kien
Another unique feature of inDriver is that drivers are not automatically assigned to riders. Once the counteroffers are in, passengers can select the most suitable driver that meets their preferences – fare, driver’s rating, estimated time of arrival, or vehicle model.
inDriver also provides safety features so that users can travel with peace of mind. Passengers can share their GPS location and ride details in real-time from the app with trusted contacts. In addition, there’s a dedicated emergency button that will connect passengers or drivers directly with law enforcement agencies in case of emergency.
Currently, more than 1,000 drivers in Đà Nẵng have already signed up with inDriver, and more are being registered daily. During the pilot program, inDriver will not be charging any commission from drivers.
inDriver ride-hailing service is available within Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Gò Nổi city borders and the nearest suburbs. Currently, completed rides can only be paid in cash, which allows for further reduction of trip costs by cutting out transaction fees charged by credit cards or online payment.
The inDriver app is available to download for free from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.