Torrential rains from last night to this afternoon, August 26, have left both Hanoi and HCM City struggling, with many streets submerged or gridlocked and traffic brought to a standstill.
At about 8.30 this morning, Ngoc Thao tried to book a Grab ride from Tran Thai Tong Street in Cau Giay to Giang Vo Street, a distance of just over 5 km. The fare had doubled, yet after waiting 30 minutes, she still couldn’t get a car, as the app showed no drivers nearby.
Hanoi experiences severe flooding on the morning of August 26 (Photo by Hai Long)
She then tried Be and Xanh SM, where fares were just as high, but no rides were available. Left with no choice, Thao asked to work from home, hoping to travel later in the afternoon when the rain subsided.
Hoang Anh Minh in the My Dinh area failed to book a ride to his office on Tran Phu Street as ride-hailing apps were paralysed from 7.30 am, with fares tripling but no drivers available. Reluctant to drive through flooded streets up to half a metre deep, he decided to stay home in the morning and return to work only if conditions improved in the afternoon.
In HCM City, ride-hailing fares also increased. Mai Hoa from An Phu Ward said his 5-kilometre commute to an office on Vo Van Tan Street costs typically about VND 50,000 by motorbike and VND 80,000 by car. But this morning, the fares tripled to over VND 200,000. Hoa remarked that the price of a ride to work was nearly a full day’s wage.
Ride-hailing drivers say rainy-day trips come with many risks: flooded streets can damage vehicles, while falling trees and traffic jams slow travel and cut efficiency. Many, therefore, wait for the rain to ease before taking new customers.
