According to Mr. Ta Long Hy, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Taxi Association, taxi companies in the association dealt with 3,535 drivers who violated regulations, of which 642 had their employment terminated.

Some drivers had seriously violated regulations, by using drugs or overcharging passengers by manipulating the meter.

Companies also commended 8,027 drivers last year for returning forgotten items to passengers.

Seventeen drivers received a commendation from the Ho Chi Minh People’s Committee for returning items worth more than VND1 billion ($44,980) or providing assistance in catching criminals.

One driver even helped a pregnant woman give birth in the taxi.

Companies such as Vinasun, Vinataxi, and Hoang Long have introduced software that supports driver management, providing convenience to customers.

Mai Linh Taxi said that in the first quarter of this year it will introduce an app to improve service quality.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport the city now has 10,699 taxis, of which 4,700 are non-traditional, such as Uber.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Giao, Deputy Head of Transport Management at the Department, said the city served around 240 million passengers last year, or 40 per cent of those using public transport.