By Hannah Leung | e27 – 52 minutes ago
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The Korean startup promises cheaper, more convenient trips across borders
Easiway, a South Korean startup that connects passengers with rides between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, has announced it will launch a new service for corporate and business travellers.
Though Shenzhen and Hong Kong are neighbours, crossing the border is a gruelling process involving going through crowds and customs.Easiway wants to simplify that process.
Like Uber, Easiway users simply book a ride through the app, which provides an estimation of the cost of the journey. An Easiway van driver is then assigned.
For identification, the passenger is given the van number and name of the driver. Riders then cross the border and get dropped off at the location of their choice.
Companies can use this web tool after requesting for an account. Prepaid corporate packages are available for groups of eight, 15 and 30.
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What makes this convenient over, say, hopping on a bus? Vans booked by Easiway have two license plates, one for Shenzhen and one for Hong Kong, meaning passengers can stay inside the car, as opposed to getting off.
According to Eunice Lee, a spokesperson for Easiway, the startup has access to about 20,000 vans sourced from 2,000 rental companies. Easiway does not own any of the vans, but instead partners with rental van companies and connects them to the drivers.
At the moment, Lee estimates that a single trip for one person from Central, Hong Kong past the border of Shenzhen would cost about US$110 (RMB700). For corporations, the price would be based per van, greatly reducing the cost per passenger.
“We realised that with a van with two plates, you don’t need to get off for custom checks. The driver will simply ask for your passport at the beginning, and it will be checked by customs,” shared Lee.
Easiway is part of Easishare Limited, a Korean startup founded by CEO Kay Woo based in South Korea. Easiway launched its services in August as a joint venture in Hong Kong and Shenzhen earlier this year.
Why is a startup from South Korea getting involved in the commute from China to Hong Kong, though?
“We’re a startup from Korea, but our mentor always commuted from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. We learned that around 600,000 people cross the border from Hong Kong to Shenzhen on a daily basis, and we thought that there must be a way to simplify this process,” said Lee.
The app is available in Chinese, English, Korean and will be available in Japanese soon. Payment methods also include Alipay and Apple Pay.
Also Read: Ola to ‘Share’ carpool space with Uber and Tripda in India
Image Credit: Easiway
The post Easiway to offer HK-Shenzhen van booking service for groups, companies appeared first on e27.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/easiway-offer-hk-shenzhen-van-booking-groups-companies-054556147.html
