Southeast Asia – Innovation through Digital Technology for Mobility?

Special Section: Internet and Mobility
Case Study of Taxi Services in Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur
By Manon Eskenazi, Virginie Boutueil
English

Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid urban and economic growth, along with profound changes in urban mobility systems. It is also witnessing the rapid spread of smartphone and mobile applications that are likely to transform mobility services and ultimately shift the balance among them. Based on an extensive literature review and field interviews in that region, this article explores the role of mobile applications in the transformation of taxi services in two Southeast Asian cities: Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia; and Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam. It shows that ride-hailing mobile applications contribute to increasing taxi drivers’ income and to enhancing users’ perception of the quality of the service. It also shows that these mobile applications challenge the government’s role in planning, regulating and controlling this industry.

Go to the article on Cairn-int.info