Why Did Bangkok Copy Uber and US Cities Don’t?

April 27, 2015 by

Image credit: Sippanont Samchai

The city of Bangkok’s taxi authority has partnered with two startups—EasyTaxi and GrabTaxi—that work just like Uber, but with one big difference: users can hail real taxis with the apps, so they work seamlessly with the existing transport infrastructure.

Both apps have been around for a while, and both have the blessing of the Thai government. Taxi drivers have adopted the apps, meaning it has gotten even easier to hail a taxi in the Southeast Asian capital, where many people depend on taxis. In Bangkok, taxis are a bigger part of everyday life than in New York City.

At the same time, Bangkok taxis have their problems. Many drivers refuse to use meters with tourists; others refuse to take passengers if they want to go too far afield. A few cases of violence, extortion, and threats have also alarmed outsiders.

Thus it’s no surprise that Uber was a huge hit in Bangkok until it got shut down because drivers are “improperly registered” and goes against many local regulations and laws. That doesn’t mean ride-sharing is over in Thailand; instead, the Thai authorities simply embraced alternative apps that work with local laws and local taxi drivers, who have adopted and adapted.

So why doesn’t NYC, or Los Angeles, or any other city in the U.S. partner with a similar app, and automate their taxi dispatching?

If you clicked on this article hoping to get an answer to this question, I’m sorry; I have none for you.

The technology behind Uber is not terribly difficult to replicate or integrate with existing taxi services, as EasyTaxi and GrabTaxi prove, and cities like NYC have deep pockets to invest in an Uber killer.

Taxi drivers should be clamoring for such a thing; a real competitor would at least slow Uber’s growth, if not end its growth altogether. But instead, both taxi drivers and regulators are fighting the future by working to ban apps like Uber altogether. Maybe someday they will come around and be as forward-thinking as Thailand.

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