Bengaluru:
Booking a taxi using an app on your smartphone has changed the way people move around Indian cities. So could the more humble auto-rickshaw, a far more common mode of transport be left behind?
For taxi aggregator, TaxiForSure, which extended its services to autos on January 16th, the idea came simply because they were not able to cater to the huge demand for taxis.
G. Raghunandan, CEO of TaxiForSure told NDTV, "The number of people looking for a taxi is significantly higher than the number of taxis on the road. The next option was to provide them with autos. If there are customers who don't mind travelling by auto, then they not give them an option of getting one? We never expected that the demand would increase significantly. Even though we have subscribed around 3000 autos, we are able to meet only 20% of the demand."
Commuters tired of negotiating with reluctant auto drivers and haggling over fares have welcomed this new app as a huge relief.
Faisal, from Bengaluru, said, "The auto driver comes to the passenger and that is when the charge starts. It is also safer."
With TaxiForSure, passengers pay a ten rupee convenience fee which goes to the company, while the auto driver gets the full metre fare - and hopefully more bookings. Drivers have been provided with a smart phone with 1500 rupees of currency for a first, trial month. If they choose to continue, they will pay 600 rupees a month to own the phone.
Vadivelu, an auto driver who has signed up with TaxiForSure, hopes this scheme will improve his business. "Sometimes we don't get hired at all. TaxiForSure has given us a mobile device through which customers can call us. This helps."
The auto drivers come through NGOs and organisations with prior background checks. Their position is monitored through GPS and a star rating system helps provide feedback from customers about the ride.
Mr Raghunandan said safety was the biggest concern for his company. "We know the drivers' background. If a new auto driver wants to enrol into the system, he has to be referred by an existing auto driver," he said.
However, not every auto driver thinks booking through apps is a great idea.
"We suffer loses while looking for an address as the metre only starts running when the passenger gets in the auto," an auto driver told NDTV.
Commuting in the big bad city can be difficult. But, along with so many newer things in 2015 - we have this app which might make things a little easier for the hassled traveler.