ĐÀ NẴNG — The Ulatech Joint Stock Company launched a car-hailing app for smartphones called “ULA” in the central city of Đà Nẵng on Saturday.

The app is aimed at helping passengers to book cars and drivers to seek customers. It is also expected to make the search for restaurants, hospitals and pharmacies in Việt Nam much easier.

To encourage the Vietnamese to use Việt Nam-made products, the application costs Vietnamese drivers less than similar foreign applications, said a representative of the company.

Anyone with iOS or Android smartphones can download and use the ULA app free of charge.

Trần Nguyễn Sông Hàn, director of the technology company, said that he expected the app to usher in benefits to the society. “Ulatech will focus on research to improve and diversify its products in various fields in the upcoming time.”

Ulatech said it would also expand operating areas for the ULA app to other big cities in Việt Nam by next year.

In addition, the company also plans to bring Ulacoin (ULC) into use as a means of payment when ULA becomes more popular.

Users can pay by ULC when using ULA app at all linkage points of Ulatech.

Established in July, Ulatech Joint Stock Company specialises in programming, web design, phone applications and games.

As Uber and Grab are taking over the Vietnamese online car market, the country’s technology community does not want to let the domestic market fall into the hands of foreign players.

Previously, many Vietnamese car companies also introduced car-hailing apps such as those of Taxi Group, Vinasun, Mai Linh, Thành Công and Sao Thủ Đô.

Recently, Viettel telecom signed a comprehensive strategic co-operation agreement with Vietnamese transportation startup Gonow. Last year, another technology giant VNG also introduced 123Xe car-hailing app. — VNS