HANOI, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese cities and provinces nationwide have been asked to cease licensing new taxi-hailing apps like Uber and Grab on a trial basis.
The temporary limit is aimed at preventing the rampant surge of technology-based taxis which pressurize infrastructure, present unfair competition for other forms of transport services, and cause difficulties in management, the Transport Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport said on Sunday.
Earlier, Vietnamese relevant agencies licensed seven ride-sharing companies to operate on a trial basis in three localities, namely Hanoi capital, Ho Chi Minh City and central Khanh Hoa province.
In Ho Chi Minh City, by the end of April, the numbers of traditional and technology-based taxis were some 11,000 and 22,000, respectively.
Hanoi currently has 19,200 traditional taxis run by 77 firms, and 7,000 ride-sharing cars, according to initial statistics from the municipal transport bureau.
