A tuk tuk driver waits for customers in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Members of the travel trade in Cambodia have welcomed a new tuk tuk booking app for helping increase safety and convenience for tourists.
PassApp Taxi, launched last month in Phnom Penh, allows users to book a tuk tuk – one of Cambodia’s preferred forms of transport – via the app.
While there is no shortage of tuk tuks in the Cambodian capital, EXO Cambodia general manager Pierre-Andre Romano said this brings many benefits for foreign travellers.
“It can be annoying for tourists to have to bargain for their ride, especially when they don’t know the standard, so it is good for this factor,” he said.
The app charges the first kilometre at a flat rate of 3,000 riel (US$0.75) with each additional kilometre costing 1,500 riel. Hailing a tuk tuk on the street requires haggling and can cost up to three times more.
Sambo Nov, assistant general manager at Sun and Moon Hotel, has been recommending the app to his guests, especially after dark when tuk tuks can be scarce in some places. She said: “It is very useful for guests who don’t know their location clearly or speak Khmer.”
Les Heng, general manager of tour operator Cambodian Experiences, added that the app also addresses security concerns. “Visitors know they are using a trusted driver and that offers extra reassurance.”
A similar app, Go Tuk Tuk, is set to launch within the next few months, with the added capability to pay for rides via Alipay, Paypal, debit cards and credit cards.
