Buriram pilots smart mobility by using ‘Grab’ to prepare for MotoGP

The Buriram Provincial Government Office gets ready to accommodate tourists and visitors to the MotoGP 15, the world’s number one Grand Prix motorcycle racing event, which will take place on 5 – 7 October 2018 by integrating the ride-hailing mobile application, ‘Grab’ in its Smart Mobility pilot project.

The move aligns with the “Buriram Model” vision which aims to boost the province’s economic and tourism growth while sustainably improving the incomes and quality of life of Buriram residents.

Buriram is moving full-steam ahead in the development of our province with a particular focus on sustainability and innovation. Hosting the MotoGP in Buriram is one of the key strategies that will help the province achieve its “Buriram Model” vision to become the landmark province for tourism, events and sports. This will also make Buriram and Thailand well-known on the world stage, said Mr. Anusorn Kaewkangwan, the Governor of Buriram.

“In addition to our partnership with the Buriram Provincial Land Transport Office to prepare a more efficient transport system during the event, we are working with a private sector partner like Grab Thailand to incorporate the ride-hailing application to meet the demands for safe and convenient transportation and seamlessly connect with other modes of transportation. This partnership with Grab is one of our strategies in driving Buriram towards a Smart City future. Buriram is piloting full utilisation of ride-hailing technology for the sustainable development of the province’s economic landscape, tourism and society,” he said.

Mr. Newin Chidchob, President of Buriram United International Circuit Co., Ltd. said throughout the duration of the race, we estimate that there will be over 100,000 people travelling to Buriram including racers, spectators and tourists, which could bring in more than 10 billion baht to the local economy. Therefore, having an efficient transportation system is necessary to make tourists, trackside spectators and MotoGP fans around the world have good impression of our country. I am pleased that the Buriram Provincial Government Office has taken our hometown to the next level by incorporating with the leading ride-hailing mobile application. The technology will enable locals to earn more income and offer them chances to welcome foreign visitors to their beloved city by themselves.

Mr. Tarin Thaniyavarn, Country Head of Grab Thailand, said Grab ultimately hopes to improve the livelihoods of Buriram people by enabling them to earn more income, have better quality of life and gain access to safer and more convenient transportation. “We see it as a great opportunity to optimise existing local resources and increase the efficiency of the public transportation system to meet the growing demands of Buriram’s economy and tourism. Furthermore, there will be a large number of visitors coming to the global MotoGP event which could lead to the exponential growth of the province’s economy and tourism sectors. Moving forward, we hope to work with other provinces in the same manner.”

The event is expected to attract at least 4,000 four-wheel and motorcycle drivers to the ride-hailing platform. The pick-up spot and drivers queueing system for drivers will be setup onsite.  There are plan to further coordinating with the Buriram airport authorities and various hotel networks in arranging service areas, publicizing travel information to tourists as well as providing interested individuals with pre- and post-event promotional codes to allow them to enjoy the benefits of ride-hailing.