Ola wants to double operations by 2021 – expands to 22 cities in Australia and New Zealand

• Ola is expanding its international operations with 22 new cities in Australia and New Zealand.
  
• Ola had launched operations in both the countries in February 2018.
  
• Last week, Ola had also launched in London, days after Uber’s licence in the city was revoked.
  

Indian ride hailing unicorn Ola is expanding its international operations with 22 new cities in Australia and New Zealand.

Ola had launched operations in both these countries in February 2018.

“We are excited to increase our presence in the region, while remaining committed to the development of pioneering technology and category innovations, as we build a safe, reliable and inclusive mobility platform for the world,” said Simon Smith, head of international at Ola.

The company claims that Australia and New Zealand are key markets. They have been focussing on driver benefits and they are charging commission rates of 15% in Australia and 18% in New Zealand -- which are the lowest in the industry.

Ola is already present in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Canberra, Adelaide, the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the company started with a tri-city launch across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch where 50% of Zealanders reside.

Last week, Ola launched in London, days after Uber’s licence in the city was revoked. The ride hailing unicorn has also been granted a Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) license by Transport for London (TfL) and is bringing drivers onboard now.

Ola’s making aggressive expansion plans as the company is planning to head for an IPO in two years. In its preparation for the IPO, the $5.7 billion company is laying off people, optimising teams, and adding top executives to put out an attractive offer in two years.

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