Ola Cabs, fresh out of acquisition of one of their biggest competitor, TaxiForSure, have today announced launch of cashless rides on their platform. And, it is not only for the cabs on their network, but has been extended to Auto rickshaws and Kaali-Peeli taxis as well!
Going forward, commuters can pay for auto rides through the Ola Money wallet, which they launched last year, across 6 cities and Kaali-Peeli taxis in Mumbai.
So next time you are in one of the 6 cities of Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi or Bangalore, just make sure that you stock up your Ola Money wallet with some cash. And, every time you call a auto, just let the app deduct it from your digital wallet. No more hassles of carrying cash along with you!
Ola is currently the only leading car rental mobile app that offers booking of auto rickshaws. Ola had launched auto booking through its app about 6 months back. Currently, Ola app has a network of over 40,000 autos and kaali-peeli taxis registered pan-India.
How does it work?
To pay through the in-app Ola money wallet, the customer has to simply inform the auto rickshaw driver that the payment will be made with Ola Money. On completion of the ride, the driver shall enter the fare displayed on the meter, followed by the four-digit OTP that the customer will receive through an SMS. Ola money is then automatically deducted from the customer’s account. Drivers can withdraw their payments anytime from the prepaid ATM card that is linked to their Ola account.
Pallav Singh, Vice President – Operations at Ola said, “Autos and Kaali-Peelis are the most ubiquitous modes of personal transportation available in our cities today. However, for decades they have been operating without leveraging the benefits of scale and efficiency. By bringing them on the Ola app, we have been able to connect auto drivers and customers with absolute ease, bringing more convenience to users and more income for drivers. With cashless rides for autos and Kaali-Peelis now, the experience for both customers and drivers becomes seamless. We believe digital payments will shape the future of personal transportation in India.”
Even the Drivers Benefits
While Ola launched Autos on their platform just a few months back, over 40,000 drivers from 6 cities are now available to Ola customers. The Ola app helps auto drivers receive booking requests from customers around them and also helps them with turn-by-turn navigation to reach them.
With cashless payments, drivers will now be saved from the hassle of carrying and finding change after every ride. Also, drivers will now have their daily earnings deposited directly into their account with Ola. The drivers have been given a prepaid card which can be used any ATMs or any business establishment, where cards are accepted.
Ola is growing aggressively, organically as well as inorganically. And now their reach has extended to Auto rickshaws as well as local taxis! On the other hand, their main competitor is still struggling with legal and statutory compliances. Ola seems to be taking full advantage of it to reach a position in India, where it will be extremely difficult for anyone else to touch them!
[…] fresh out of acquisition of one of their biggest competitor, TaxiForSure, have today announced launch of cashless rides on their platform. And, it is not only for the cabs on their network, but has been extended to Auto rickshaws and […]