Gojek launches car ride-hailing service in HCMC

By Dat Nguyen November 18, 2021 | 10:00 pm PT

A Gojek car driver disinfects his vehicle in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo courtesy of Gojek Vietnam

Gojek has launched a car ride-hailing service in HCMC as it seeks to match other established rivals in a competitive industry.

The Indonesian company announced the launch of GoCar Thursday, starting with GoCar Protect, an initiative which incorporates additional safety features to prevent Covid-19 infection.

The company began offering GoCar services in August but only for medical staff, and it is now available to the public.

All GoCar Protect drivers are fully vaccinated, and their vehicles have an air purifier which can neutralize up to 99.4 percent of airborne viruses, the company said in a statement.

"Gojek has taken extra steps to keep riders and driver-partners safe" amid concerns about the risk of infection, Duc Phung, Gojek Vietnam general manager, said at a press conference.

The company next plans to take its GoCar service to Hanoi.

Gojek debuted in Vietnam as GoViet in August 2018, and has since connected more than 200,000 drivers and tens of thousands of food merchants with millions of consumers.

GoCar joins three existing services: GoRide (motorbike), GoFood (food delivery) and GoSend (goods delivery).

Grab and Be have been offering car ride-hailing services for several years now.