Rideshare apps have become a global phenomenon, transforming how people get around all over the world. While Uber and Lyft are two of the most well-known names, especially in the US where they originated, rideshare options vary significantly depending on where you are. In fact, in 2023, Uber alone had 150 million users across 70 countries make use of its services at least once a month!

Transportation modes look very different globally, and the apps that serve their users are no different. App designs, services, and availability often reflect the environments in which they were developed. So, with that in mind, let’s explore how rideshare services (and the customs surrounding them) can vary from country to country.

Vietnam

Whether you’re in Hanoi, Da Lat, or Ho Chi Minh City, a constant sight is the flow of motorbikes zipping around. As of 2023, there were more than 70 million registered motorcycles in the country– pretty significant for a population of 98 million! Naturally, their rideshare services needed to reflect this.

Enter Grab, an app that, much like Uber, has merged transport and delivery services to become a major player throughout Southeast Asia. Originally created in Malaysia, Grab expanded to Vietnam in 2014, where it is now the biggest rideshare app in the country. Part of its success came from the introduction of Grab Bikes – a rideshare service where, instead of a car, Grab drivers pick up individuals on a motorbike! For safety, drivers provide their passengers with a helmet (or you can opt to carry your own if you prefer) and can only take one passenger at a time. Rates for bikes are much more affordable than those for cars, and wait times are often shorter as well. This makes it a great option for solo travelers, students, and anyone else just looking for a quick way to get around.

Nowadays, options have grown as other apps try to enter the market. Gojek and Be both also offer rideshare and delivery services, and it isn’t uncommon for people to rotate between apps. If you find yourself in Vietnam, give these unique options a shot!

Colombia

Colombia is an interesting case study in how local government regulations (and efforts to get around them) can affect rideshare culture. Uber first started operating in Colombia in 2013, but like in many places it expanded to, initial reception was mixed. Local taxi companies accused Uber of unfair business practices and competition, citing that Uber drivers did not need to get special licenses or pay registration fees to the government the way traditional taxi drivers did. This tension peaked in 2019, when Colombian courts ruled that Uber would have to cease operations in the country.

That being said, if you open up the Uber app in Bogotá, you’ll still find plenty of rides available. So, what exactly did that ruling mean?

The truth is that rideshare apps like Uber, and the more regionally popular option Cabify, exist in a complicated legal space. On the one hand, legal loopholes mean they aren’t completely banned; on the other, they aren’t exactly welcomed by law enforcement either. These circumstances have created practices you might not encounter in many other places.

For example, if you’re hopping into your Uber or Cabify ride, don’t be surprised if your driver asks you to sit in the front seat instead of the back. They do this to make it less obvious to traffic police that they’re driving for an app, reducing the likelihood of harassment. Generally speaking, transport within cities tends to go smoothly, but many recommend avoiding rideshares to and from airports if possible.

China

What about cases where Uber actually doesn’t operate in the country? One such example is China, where Uber sold its operations in 2016 after struggling to compete with its local competitor, DiDi ChuXing. And the app continues to dominate the rideshare market in China to this day. In 2022 alone, DiDi conducted almost eight billion rides, and with DiDi International, they have expanded operations to countries in Latin America and Australia.

Uber’s failure to break into the Chinese market is attributed to several factors, one being the significant difference in the digital landscape between China and the international community. For example, while Uber uses Google Maps for navigation worldwide, Google is banned in China. This forced Uber to broker a new deal with Chinese-owned Baidu for their GPS, further hampering their operations.

As travelers, we can learn from Uber’s struggle: internet access and firewalls vary everywhere. So, before you travel, make sure you look into what apps or VPNs you might need. It’ll save you a headache once you arrive, and in this case, might save you from getting stranded wherever you are!

What else?

This is just a sampling of apps you might find around the world! Didn’t see your location? Then maybe you were looking for Careem, the service dominating the Middle East and North America region. Or perhaps Ola, the India-based app that has expanded to the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. From Blablacar in Europe to Israel’s Gett, there are many more apps out there to choose from.

Learning to navigate a new environment, figuratively and literally is tricky, but a little bit of research goes a long way!