5th June was World Environment Day, and what marks a better day than this day to announce a ride sharing service. If carpools are becoming a thing now, then so can auto-rickshaw sharing.
Jugnoo has announced the launch of ‘Jugnoo Pool’, the auto-rickshaw aggregator’s contribution to reducing pollution in Indian cities. Users will be able to pool with other rickshaw riders by booking a ride through Jugnoo’s mobile app.
Jungoo Pool works exactly like uberPOOL and Ola Share and automatically makes the rickshaw ride cheaper for the passengers. For drivers, it could get a little inconvenient in taking multiple passengers at once instead of two different riders. But whatever is good for the environment should definitely be promoted by the Government as well.
“We believe it is the most efficient way to use existing resources through integration of technology. Auto-rickshaws are already the most popular mode of daily conveyance for covering local distances in India,” said Samar Singla, CEO – Jugnoo.
Days after acquiring SabKuchFresh, Jugnoo has launched the ride sharing option on its app for users across the country, and not just Chandigarh. Samar Singla has also said that the pool service will cost 20% lesser than normal rides, even in case a rider match is not found.
This idea has plagued Uber and Ola drivers wherever ride sharing option exists. The discounted fare does not equalize the cost of commute, even in cases the passenger travels alone. 20% discount might not seem very high, but added over a period of time, the savings would make a huge impact to your spending.
However, Jugnoo is confident that commuters will not face any issues and can enjoy cheaper rides from now on. On the other hand, the auto-rickshaw drivers will enjoy incentive of almost 1.5 times the ride cost in case the riders opt for pooling service. We do not know the details of this, but it looks like some serious investor money being burnt.
Will Auto-rickshaw pooling be safe in India? In most cities, it should be. Delhi-NCR has had its fair share of incidents involved in ‘tuk tuk sharing’ and small ferry rides shared by its residents every day. We hope Jugnoo adds host of safety features on its app, as well as the auto rickshaws.
UberPOOL expands to Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad
UberPOOL does not need any introduction. It is one of the most efficient ride sharing services in India, from a Silicon Valley-based company that aims to reduce the ride costs and club people travelling on the same route.
The service has been extremely successful in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, and finally Uber is extending it to three other large cities in India – Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The service has helped reduce the number of cars and pollution in the two cities.
According to Uber, nearly 25% of the bookings came for uberPOOL, which gives enough incentive for Uber to pass on the service to other similar cities. Of course, not just passengers, but drivers also benefit from the pooling service by spending less time finding the next rider.
Amit Jain, President – Uber India, told PTI, “Since the start of this year, uberPOOL riders in India have cut the number of kilometres driven down by seven million, which translates to over 300,000 litres of fuel saved… In Delhi and Bengaluru, over 50,000 riders are opting to share their trip via uberPOOL each week.”
Uber has been trying to flourish better than local players like Ola in India and Didi Chuxing in China, and has been constantly trying to improve its services to suit the locals. From having a designated zone at Bengaluru International Airport to partnering with Paytm, Uber is doing almost everything right.
However, it still needs to watch out for Ola cabs, India’s trusted cab aggregator. Good news for residents in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, they can finally make use of ride sharing service by Uber and double up their savings!
Tell us about your auto-rickshaw sharing and cab-sharing experience in the comments below!
