BlaBlaCar launches carpooling service in Vietnam

Unlike ride-hailing services such as Grab, Be, and Green SM, BlaBlaCar connects passengers with drivers who already have a planned trip and empty seats rather than drivers taking trips on demand.

Drivers post their departure and destination points, travel date and time, and available seats, while passengers search for and book rides that fit their travel plans.

Both sides can then arrange pickup and drop-off details through the platform.

The model gives private car owners a way to make use of empty seats while offering travelers another option for intercity transportation.

Each passenger pays a contribution based on the trip's distance and estimated travel costs. 

According to the BlaBlaCar website, the platform recommends a price per seat based on factors such as fuel, vehicle wear and tear, and travel distance. 

The recommended amount can vary for different stopovers and may include additional costs such as tolls or detours.

Drivers can adjust the recommended price within the range suggested by BlaBlaCar when publishing a trip. 

The contribution is intended to cover travel costs rather than generate a profit, and drivers must also pay their own share.

BlaBlaCar recently added Vietnam to a group of 20 new markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, in what the company described as its largest international expansion in a decade.

It announced the expansion in late June, and its Vietnamese-language website and app began operating in early August.

Founded in France in 2006, BlaBlaCar now operates in 41 countries and has around 30 million active members, according to Znews.

The platform recorded more than 600,000 new driver registrations worldwide from March to May.

BlaBlaCar said an average trip has 2.1 people, allowing drivers to offset more than half of their fuel and toll costs.

In Vietnam, the platform highlights routes such as Ho Chi Minh City-Vung Tau, Hanoi-Hai Phong, Da Nang-Hue and Nha Trang-Da Lat as popular journeys.

During a trial conducted at noon on August 9, Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper searched for a trip in late August from Gigamall shopping mall in Hiep Binh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

For two passengers, BlaBlaCar displayed a contribution of VND24,000 (US$0.9), along with the departure time and estimated arrival time.

For the same route, Grab quoted VND76,000-100,000 ($2.9-3.8) per car, while Be quoted VND70,000-90,000 ($2.7-3.4).

The ride-hailing apps could provide a car within around five minutes, while BlaBlaCar required users to coordinate with the driver in advance.

The trial showed that BlaBlaCar's trip-search and cost-calculation functions are active in Vietnam, although the number of available rides remains limited.

BlaBlaCar has not disclosed its number of users in Vietnam, its local operating team, commercialization plans or long-term development roadmap for the market.

Trust could be a key challenge, as drivers and passengers may be strangers who have never met before.

BlaBlaCar allows users to verify their phone numbers, email addresses, and identity documents. Members can view profiles and ratings before confirming a ride, while drivers and passengers can rate and review each other after trips.

The BlaBlaCar website also says users can check information about potential travel companions and that the platform has procedures for receiving reports and handling violations of its community rules.

As BlaBlaCar defines its service as non-commercial, questions remain over when cost-sharing between private individuals could be considered a transportation business. 

Insurance coverage, accident liability and disputes between drivers and passengers are also issues that may need to be addressed as the service develops.

The service's growth in Vietnam, however, will depend on whether it can build a sufficiently large network of drivers and passengers willing to share rides with strangers.