When living in cities like Paris, London or Madrid, one tends to forget the easiness and seamlessness of public transportation. You can get from A to B relatively quickly with multiple public options at your disposal. And even if one enjoys the quietness of a private ride and has the wallet to match, then taxis are readily available.
But when one lives in Asian cities like Manila, Phnom Penh or Jakarta, that seamlessness is envied. Public transport options are limited if not inexistant and taxis in some cities are hard to come by. That is why there is most definitely market space for companies like Uber, Grab and others to enter.
In Cambodia, the car-sharing concept has come in strongly with as many as five competitors currently launching: Uber, PassApp, Exnet, CamGo and iTsumo.
The main difference between competitors is product features and range of services provided: once some offer rickshaws and cars, others prefer to focus on private drivers and available taxis. Each platform provides the customers with a separate set of service features but all are trying to capture the local population’s need for a reliable, cost-effective way to move around Phnom Penh.
With some many players currently in the market, the question is if one of them will find a way to prevail and to encompass both the rider market and the driver market. Because being able to attract both sides is the key to marketplace liquidity and thus to market leadership.
Pablo F. Alonso Caprile 