India is a land of diversities – not only in terms of cultures and people, but also many other things, including mobile internet. Every Smartphone user has faced internet connectivity problems, one time or the other. In some instances, it is just impossible to access internet – This happens especially when you are on the move.
What if you want to book a cab, and you don’t have internet? How will you book it?
Now, India’s leading cab aggregator app, Ola, has a solution to this. Ola App users can now book their cabs even when they have very low or no internet connectivity. The feature will be available across all cab categories including Micro, Mini, Prime and Lux.
This feature is currently launched in Metro areas only, and will be opened to other cities in a phased manner.
How Does Ola Offline Booking work?
If a user is attempting to book a cab on the Ola app and does not have internet, they will now get two options : Retry or Book via SMS
Either customers can choose to Retry if they’ve come to a place with better Internet connectivity, or go with the second option of booking through SMS.
On selecting the second option, users will get redirected to their default messaging app where they will see a pre-entered text message requesting Ola to book a cab.
On sending the text message, users will get an SMS with the particulars of the nearest available cabs across categories. The SMS will give options for Micro, Mini, Prime or Lux, whichever are available within the vicinity
Once they select their preferred cab category, they will receive driver and cab details instantly by SMS.
On the other hand, the driver will also receive customer contact details and the GPS triangulated location of the user. Also, once the internet connectivity resumes, the ride details, GPS tracking, SOS button, and other features associated with the ride will be available for the user on the Ola app.
Ola claims to have piloted the ‘Offline’ was piloted in several smaller markets like Indore and Nagpur, and saw significant acceptance among the consumers in these cities over the past few weeks. With the success of their pilot, Ola plans to roll out this feature in other cities as well.
Ankit Bhati, CTO & Co-Founder, Ola said at the launch of this feature, “As the country ushers in the digital revolution with projects such as Digital India and Smart Cities, the way users experience technology is changing. While connectivity continues to be an infrastructural challenge, we are constantly building innovative technology that helps fill the gap, and the launch of the ‘Offline feature’ is a major step in that direction. We understand that while an Ola might be available around you, a working Internet connection might not always be. Ola Offline will now plug this gap.” He further added, “Mobility is an integral part of a developing economy. It should not stop, irrespective of any technology or infrastructural constraint. We will constantly look at innovative ways to realise our mission of building mobility for a billion Indians.”