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Nearly 35,000 traditional <keyword id="1363622" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kaali-Peeli">kaali-peeli</keyword> cabs in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=mumbai">Mumbai </a>have ditched the traditional route and have decided to take on two of their biggest competitors- <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Ola-is-going-for-the-kill-Uber-already-sees-it-as-competition/articleshow/49088741.cms">Ola</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=uber">Uber</a> head-on by launching an app of their own. 
 Embracing the onslaught of technology enabled businesses, two major taxi unions in Mumbai and have come together and launched its very own app called <keyword id="3202744" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="9211">9211</keyword>, which will be offering instant cab services at government approved rates, no less, which is Rs 22 for the first 1.5 km. 
 Similar to how <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> and <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>’s app work, 9211 will also allow users the facility of locating and booking cabs near them. 
 
According to Prem Singh, the leader of Mumbai Taxi Association, all 35,000 kaali-peeli drivers will be asked to enroll themselves on the app. 
 
The app is expected to be state of the art and come built with safety features, such as an SOS button and GPS tracking, while all movements of the cabs are to be monitored via a centralized control room. 
 
As the venture is in its initial stage, unions have decided to take only cash payment at the moment but officials have indicated that they will soon come up with an online payment option as well. 
 While this launch is an extremely positive sign of traditional old businesses adapting to modern scenarios and opening their eyes to the wonders of technology, it’s still left to see whether the move will actually turn out to be profitable for the cab owners or manage to disrupt even a little of the two <keyword id="6524998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Cab-aggregators">cab aggregators</keyword>’ loyal customer base. 
 
Granted the kaali peeli cabs have number on their side with a fleet of 35,000 cabs, but what will seal the case in their favour is the ease of transactions on the app and how convenient and efficient the experience is, as compared to an Uber or an Ola. 
 
It’s also interesting to note that just last year Ola had tried its level best to incorporate these Kaali-Peeli cabs into their network and has also launched cash payment to attract customers. However, the idea didn’t take off with a meagre 2500 cabs signing up. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Mumbai’s
kaali-peeli cabs just launched an app, but is it enough to counter Ola and Uber?

This summer, commuters in the NCR, willing to ditch metros and buses, will have several choices to book their cabs. Apart from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-who-is-benefitting-from-ola-uber-drivers-strike/articleshow/57187851.cms">Ola and Uber</a>, they will have two new cab aggregator apps. This would also benefit them in terms of money, owing to the price war between these apps. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/these-women-ola-auto-drivers-are-changing-Indian-roads/articleshow/57539709.cms">These Women Ola Auto drivers are changing Indian roads</a> 
 
Cabby, the cab aggregator app to be launched today, has been developed by Sahil Arora, a seventeen-year-old school dropout from Gurgaon. The app will have 25,000 operational cabs in NCR, following which it would move to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/bengaluru-feel-relieved-as-ola-anduber-drivers-call-off-strike/articleshow/57221582.cms">Bengaluru</a>. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/online-cab-players-in-2016-completed-nearly-half-a-billion-rides-with-250-y-o-y-growth-in-india/articleshow/57273938.cms">Online cab players in 2016 completed nearly half a billion rides with 250% y-o-y growth in India</a> 
 Cabby would charge a base fare of Rs 37.50 for the first 2 km, followed by Rs 12.5 per km. Arora told ET that this is actually very competitive, and the fare would be lesser than what <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> and Uber charge. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/are-ola-and-uber-actually-tryingto-prove-poor-people-should-never-think-big/articleshow/57475233.cms">Are Ola and Uber actually trying to prove “poor people should never think big”?</a> 
 
The second cab-aggregator app to be launched today is from 74 BC Technologies, operational from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/UberMOTO-enters-Gurgaon/articleshow/51603369.cms">Gurgaon</a> where it is known for the bike taxi aggregator Baxi. 
 
Baxi is now launching cab services in seven cities including Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru. Acting as a technology provider for the app, it will be available free of cost for cab drivers. 
 
"Baxi will not take any commission from the drivers to use their technology platform," said Ashutosh Johri, co-founder of Baxi and an IIT Delhi alumnus. It would charge a base fare of Rs 50, followed by Rs 9 per km. Having around 1,000 cabs in its fleet, it would also have Re 1/minute wait charges. 
 
(Image source: Level Nine Services)

Two new apps to take on Ola and Uber in NCR

Hopping from one app to another, looking for a cab is an irritant and consumes a lot of time. This grumble by consumers was heard by Shalak Nail and Neha Bora, who have come up with taxi app aggregator-Loco Cabs. 
 <keyword id="3170727" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Loco-Cabs">Loco Cabs</keyword>, which was launched this year, has data of all cabs, such as <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> and <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>, on one single app. 
 "We started with the app showing the cabs available close by and then a few months ago we approached Uber and Ola (and <keyword id="1428790" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="TaxiforSure">TaxiForSure</keyword>) to allow us to be able to facilitate their bookings as well," Naik told ET. 
 
By aggregating all taxi apps on one, taxi aggregators are to gain only as window will open to more users. 
 
Loco Cabs works as an aggregator for small-time travel companies and cab owners making intercity and overnight trips. 
 
Loco Cabs has tied up with Paytm and CCavenue and is in talks with Meru and Mega Cabs as well. 
 
Apart from cabs, they are also planning to add bus service. 
 
"The immediate priority is India but then as the market matures, we'd like to be a platform for all your surface travel needs. When you need to travel, you should be able to get the cheapest and fastest option here," said Naik.

Now, you can book Ola, Uber from one single app! Here’s how

<keyword id="2811049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="UrbanClap">UrbanClap</keyword> and OLA, two startups aiming to make life easier for their customers, are teaming up to offer the ultimate on-demand experience to the residents of Delhi-NCR. On choosing ‘Say Ola to <keyword id="3132839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="urbanclap-chefs">UrbanClap Chefs</keyword>’ on the <keyword id="6362049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Cabs">OLA Cabs</keyword> app, the customers would be visited by UrbanClap chefs who will prepare a gourmet meal for them, and that too for just Rs. 200. This party can be joined in by 14 friends, making their Diwali get-togethers even more interesting. 
 
How It Works: 
 
1. Open the OLA Cabs App in Delhi-NCR on November 10 and place a request for UrbanClap Chefs. 
 
2. If an UrbanClap Chef is available, the user will receive a phone call to confirm the party size, location, and whether anyone has any dietary restrictions. 
 
The scheme is only available in Delhi-NCR. On placing a request for, and being connected to a chef, he or she will arrive at the customer’s requested location and prepare a gourmet meal for him and his guests. 
 
Deep Singh, Business Head at Ola said, “Diwali is a festival of joy, family and friends getting together and of course, great food. With a top-chef on-demand and a chance to win gold coins, we intend to add to the cheer and excitement of our customers. We are delighted that we can be an integral part of their celebrations, this festive season. We wish all our customers a very Happy Diwali!" 
 
Abhiraj Bhal, Co-Founder, UrbanClap said "An exciting new service for our discerning customers wherein they can have a gourmet meal cooked in their homes during the festivities. UrbanClap Chefs brought to the doorstep of our discerning customers by Ola Cabs will make home festivities easier, convenient and a lot more enjoyable!"

Ola joins hands with UrbanClap

A notable one among youngest millionaires, Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal is an inspiring personality who rose to fame through luck, smart work as well as hard work. Here are a few interesting facts about Bhavish Aggarwal, you might not have known so far. A native of Punjab Bhavish Aggarwal was born in Punjab on 28 August 1985. He is an independent entrepreneur in every sense of the term. In an important turn in his life, he co-founded Ola cabs. A former student of IIT, Bombay Bhavish completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Starting off his career Microsoft gave the first platform for Bhavish to start his career. He worked with this company for about 2 years. During his tenure, he filed two patents. He too published 3 papers in international journals. Founded Ola cabs In the year 2011, Bhavish co-founded Ola Cabs with Ankit Bhati in Mumbai. Within a time span of four years, Bhavish and his co-founder Ankit Bhati were the youngest to be listed among the richest Indians for the year 2015. How Ola Cabs came up In one of his business journeys, Bhavish travelled from Bangalore to Bandipur. He rented out a car and the entire episode ended up in a bad tone. The driver stopped on the way and started demanding more than what was agreed upon initially. When he was refused, the driver abandoned him on the way before the destination. Bhavish understood this was the plight faced by several other travelers booking cars. Bhavish wished to find a car rental company that will assure a great customer experience combined with economical prices. Tapped the potentials in car booking Bhavish foresaw great potential in car booking business. In 2010, he co-founded Ola Cabs with Ankit Bhati. His parents in fact did not like the idea of Bhavish jumping into a sort of travel booking agent’s job. Nevertheless, when Ola Cabs received its first round of funding from two angel investors, Bhavish’s parents started believing that he has some workable ideas. The Ola Cabs model Ola Cabs did not resort to the model of buying and renting its own cars. Instead, it partnered with a number of taxi drivers and moved the entire set up to a sophisticated step forward. As per the Ola Cabs model, people could book cars within a short while from the comfort of their phones. The bookings that were accepted were half or full-day rentals and also outstation taxi services. Ola Cabs offers the widest set of options to the customers including Mini, Prime, and Luxury. The most economical cabs Right from the time of its inception, Ola Cabs depended on SoftBank for is funding needs besides pooling investments from Angel Investors. They also started charging lesser than what the auto-rickshaws charged. Ola Cabs offered taxi bookings for dead cheap prices at Rs.10 per km. Ola Cabs expansion Ola Cabs has recently ventured into providing auto-rickshaw booking services following the launch of Ola Auto. It is now possible for customers to find autos on-demand on the Ola Auto app. Read Also about other Personalities - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/10-interesting-facts-about-ratan-tata-that-you-should-know/articleshow/69914798.cms">Facts about Ratan Tata</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/interesting-facts-about-oyo-founder-ritesh-agarwal/articleshow/70417612.cms">Ola founder Ritesh Agarwal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/unknown-facts-about-flipkart-founder-sachin-bansal/articleshow/70494717.cms">Flipkart founder Sachin Bansal</a>

Interesting facts about Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal

You may find <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> and <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> off roads in Telangana tomorrow as the drivers of these ride-hailing apps have called for indefinite strike, alleging unfair practices. 
 
A section of cab drivers attached to Uber and Ola have threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike. 
 
The Telangana Cab Drivers and Owners Association (TCDOA) is already on strike for the past four days. 
 
TCDOA president Shiva Vulkundakar urged companies not to accept new registrations on their platforms as the existing cab owners are not able to make enough money. 
 
"They are using unfair practices. The state government should come to our rescue. They (Ola and Uber) make tall promises to drivers during enrolment time. The companies had promised that every cab driver would earn handsome money. But in reality the picture is different. We request the state government to allow us to use meters so that we can run our vehicles as taxis," he said. 
 
"I will personally sit on indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow. Some of the members who support us may also sit along with me on hunger strike," Vulkundakar told . 
 
Though the exact number of cabs attached to Uber and Ola is not officially known, the TCDOA claimed that over one lakh drivers belonging to both the taxi app companies are participating in the strike. 
 
A senior official of Ola, while admitting there is some impact on the business, however, said, "business is as usual". 
 
Uber, in a statement yesterday, said, "We condemn the forceful disruption to our services in Hyderabad by a small group of people who have threatened drivers and damaged vehicles, inconveniencing riders and preventing people from earning a livelihood." 
 
"We remain committed to serving the city, and call upon authorities to ensure safety and continued operation of our services so that we can keep Hyderabad moving," it said. 
 
However, TCDOA refuted Uber's allegation and termed it baseless.

Uber, Ola cab drivers threaten indefinite hunger strike in Telangana from tomorrow; complain of unfair practices

<ul><li><keyword id="6354720" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola">Ola</keyword> launched its services in two new cities in the UK – Coventry and Warwick.</li><li>Ola is currently operating in 9 cities in the UK.</li><li>It will also offer 50% off on all its rides for the first two weeks in the areas. </li></ul>Indian ride-hailing unicorn Ola expanded its offerings in the UK and launched in two more cities – Coventry and Warwick. With this, Ola is now operating in 9 cities in the UK. “We have learnt a great deal in the last twelve months since the launch, and feel immensely proud that our drivers have already provided over one million rides across the UK,” said Alok Pandya, Ola’s regional manager for the West Midlands, Coventry and Warwick. Ola will offer 50% off on all its rides in the first two weeks of its operations in these two cities. Coventry in UK is famous for its ‘black cabs’ for over 70 years now. It also incentivised the switch over to electric cabs. Ola seems to be honouring the tradition of black cabs by being the only app that can be used by both black cabs and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in the area. In March 2019, Ola expanded to Liverpool, Birmingham and Reading. Ola already made its presence felt in Australia and New Zealand before moving to Europe. Ola’s expansion news comes as the company is reportedly going for an IPO soon. The rumours of a possible IPO turned strong after it raised fresh funding of ₹35.88 crores from Seoul-based ARK Ola pre-IPO Fund. The Bhavish Aggarwal-led company has been actively entering new markets across the world, and had also recently set up a technology hub in the Bay Area.

Ola completes a million rides in the UK and expands to two more cities

BANGALORE: The fight to win over the Indian taxi passenger has intensified with aggregator Olacabs and cab hailing app Uber slashing prices by a fourth in Delhi—a development that is likely to force rivals to follow suit. 
 
While Ola has cut rates in its lowerend car business—Ola mini—to Rs 10 /km, Uber has cut prices for its premium segment Uber BLACK. Separately, the San Francisco-based taxi hailing app also announced that it will be launching its affordable ride service UberX in three more Indian cities: Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. “We are pushing our efficiency system to the maximum,” said Shailesh Sawlani, general manager of Uber in Mumbai. "We see this as a daily commute option for our riders and plan to maintain these prices if customers ride with us as much as we anticipate." 
 UberX Mumbai fares are Rs 15/km with a minimum base fare of Rs 50 and total minimum fare of Rs 125. The latest moves come after Uber cut its prices in Bangalore by 25% last month. Ola also reduced fares to Rs10/km for its <keyword id="2210965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ola-Mini">Ola Mini</keyword> service in the Garden City. “We have been able to optimise our inventory,” said Pranay Jivrajka, vice president of operations at Olacabs. 
 
According to industry estimates, taxi companies are struggling to keep pace with the rising demand and on average cannot accommodate a fifth of the bookings. To address this problem Ola said it will increase the number of cabs available on its mobile app by about 35% to 3,200 in Delhi alone. Ola’s total fleet size is about 15,000. 
 
“These price cuts are just a starting point to acquire customers and establishing the brand image till the time you hit a critical mass,” said Arvind Singhal, chairman of Technopak. “At Rs 10/km Ola is making losses on each Ola Mini ride,” said a source directly familiar with the matter. Same is the case with Uber, according to another source. Uber’s price drop in Bangalore is, however, for a limited duration. 
 The company has not specified the timeframe. Other competitors like TaxiFor-Sure are focussing on discount codes to expand the customer base instead of cutting prices. “We keep doing event-related promotions and offer discount vouchers from time to time,” said Aprameya Radhakrishna, founder and chief executive of <keyword id="1428790" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="TaxiforSure">TaxiForSure</keyword>. 
 
“Till the time, taxi aggregators will not face pressure to turn profitable, the freebies will continue,” said Jaspal Singh, cofounder of Valoriser Consultants, which provides market research services for transportation companies. “These companies are looking to build valuation by expanding geographic reach, recruiting more number of drivers and attracting bookings to increase revenue.” 
 However other aggregators like <keyword id="108722" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Meru-Cabs">Meru Cabs</keyword> and Savaari cabs feel that price cuts is not sustainable long-term. “Meru does not believe in price wars,” said Siddhartha Pahwa, CEO of MERU Cabs. “Consumers will not take a cab because it’s cheap but for its reliability, safety and professional service.”

Win For Customers as Taxi Companies Like Olacabs, Uber Cut Fares In Delhi, Others May Follow

Trouble seems to be mounting on cab aggregators with the protests by <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword>, Uber drivers in Delhi-NCR gathering more steam as it enters its fifth day today. 
 What’s more worrying is that <keyword id="4159125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sarvodaya-driver-association-of-delhi">Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi</keyword>, one of the groups leading the protests, has reiterated that the indefinite strike will continue until all demands are addressed by the app-based cab aggregators or the Delhi government. The Union claims to be representing the plight of 1.5 lakh of drivers in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram and other cities. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Byjus-new-gamified-app-wantsto-make-studying-Maths-real-fun-for-students/articleshow/57166026.cms?_ga=1.143439797.1652533578.1473921169">ALSO READ: Byju’s new gamified app wants to make studying Maths real fun for students</a> 
 
Earlier last week, thousands of drivers gathered at Janpath in the national capital for their indefinite strike against "unfair low fares fixed by companies" and "lack of basic amenities” from Ola and Uber. They alleged that as against Rs 30,000 they had been taking home monthly when they started driving the cabs, they are only able to make Rs 4,000 monthly for themselves and that too, despite working 18-20 hours. 
Several protesters angrily accused the cab aggregators of falsely luring them to buy cars by making financing easy and convincing them that they would earn more money than they have been from their existing sources of income. 
 
Hailing from economically weak backgrounds, several drivers sold off their property or jewelry and other assets to arrange the money for down payment. However, after the cab aggregators 
recently fixed the price at Rs 6/km (25% commission of which goes to Ola and Uber), the drivers alleged they get approximately Rs 4/km. A few drivers from the Union also alleged that despite being in the same area, Ola and Uber’s own fleet of cars have been getting more bookings than them as a result of which it has become difficult for them to meet their targets. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/check-out-one-co-work-a-co-working-space-which-is-changing-the-way-freelancers-work/articleshow/57165117.cms?format=slideshow">ALSO READ: Check out ONE Co.Work, a co-working space which is changing the way freelancers work</a> 
 
With Rs 4,000 left in hand, drivers say they are unable to meet all their family expenses. There isn’t enough money to repay loans and owing to bouncing cheques, the situation has worsened with financers even confiscating cars. 
 
At Janpath, one of the protesters alleged, “We were better off before becoming Ola, Uber drivers. We had some arrangements even then. We were surviving and meeting our daily needs. Now, we are left with nothing. Where should we go? We will continue the strike till our demands are met.” 
​ 
Due to the protests, commuters have been left worst affected with no cabs in their vicinity. While on Ola's app, there were no cabs available at times during evening peak hours, Uber's app showed taxis with inflated fares on a few routes. Meanwhile, the companies have been resorting to surge pricing during peak hours in both morning and evening since the strike has begun. 
 
What Ola, Uber have to say 
Ola said that they’re doing their best to get more taxis on the road and working closely with local authorities to end the strike. 
“Offering a seamless mobility experience has always been our priority. We are concerned about the inconvenience being caused to some of our customers across Delhi-NCR over the last few days. We’d like to reassure them that we are working closely with the local authorities to resolve the issue at the earliest," an Ola spokesperson said. 
Meanwhile, Uber also claimed it is also working closely with the government and trying to make sure that their driver partners are safe while they are on the road. 
 
“We welcome this court order, which prohibits unions, their leaders and anybody else from obstructing the activities of Uber driver partners as they go about their business. We hope it will enable drivers to get back behind the wheel, something many have been telling us they wish to do. We're sorry that our service has been disrupted and for any inconvenience, this has caused to our customers” a spokesperson from Uber said. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-uber-is-letting-you-earn-from-its-platform-uberdost/articleshow/57083396.cms?format=slideshow">ALSO READ: Here's how Uber is letting you earn from its platform 'UberDost'</a> 
 
Even as the strikes may have left Ola and Uber in a fix, quite predictably, they are concerned about retaining their customer base. Drivers meanwhile have been left in a lurch, knocking on every door possible to get justice. It remains to be seen whether this long-standing impasse between drivers and cab aggregators will see a logical conclusion anytime soon.

Here’s
what Ola, Uber have to say as protests by drivers refuse to die down

It’s good news for the aam aadmi. Internet service providers (ISPs) have written to Department of Telecom (DoT) that they will not be able to block the websites of these cab providers. The DoT on May 12, had asked ISPs to block the websites of these app-based taxi operators such as <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> and <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> following a request by the Delhi government. 
	 According to an ET report, Rajesh Chharia, the president of <keyword id="128627" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Internet-Service-Providers-Association-of-India">Internet Service Providers Association of India</keyword> said that ISPs can only block http sites and not https sites. “https sites have higher encryption code. 
	 
	The report also quoted an ISP service provider which noted that cab companies such as Ola and Uber could not be blocked as they were https sites while TaxiforSure could be as it was a http site. 
	 
	"We can only block http sites and not the https sites as the latter have higher encryption codes," Rajesh Chharia, the president of the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI) said. According to an ISP service provider, Uber and Ola are https sites, but TaxiForSure could be blocked as it is an http site. 
	 
	In a separate development, the Road Transport ministry on Thursday said that these cab companies will be regulated by states under the Motor Vehicles Act. The directive came following a telecom department query that sought clarity regarding the regulation of the internet-based cab operators. According to the report by ET, there has been confusion as it was not clear if these taxi providers are regulated by the Information technology Act or the Motor Vehicles Act. 
	 
	The road ministry will now send a formal communication to direct all states to regulate apps of these cabs on Friday. 
	 
	Image Credit: Indiatimes.com

DoT orders not followed? Know why Ola, Uber websites cannot be blocked

Very recently, I had a not-so-pleasant <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> experience while travelling from Noida to Gurgaon for an official meeting. On booking a mini, a pop-up box told me my request was being upgraded to a Sedan, but I’d have to pay mini charges. I was happy. Maybe Ola was honoring me for being a dedicated user of its taxi services. Not bad at all, I thought to myself. But as I headed towards the cab, the happiness started to fade away. I saw a dust-laden Indica parked at a distance with its paint coming off from everywhere. The number plate read the same as on my Ola app. As I sat inside it, I found out that the state of the car was worse. There was a moist unpleasant smell coming from the dirty white cotton seat covers. Dried pan stains on the footmats disgusted me. Open wires dangling from the dashboard was an ugly sight. Updated to a Sedan? I thought it was worse, ridiculous than a mini! With not too much time in hand, I decided to take the ride. 
 However, such and many other problems are regularly faced by people like us who opt for <keyword id="3163199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="taxi-booking-apps">taxi booking apps</keyword> for commuting on a regular basis. It’s a shame that in India, these companies have enough demand, but such poor services. A look at a few of such complaints will make you never want to use these cabs at all. 
 For instance, 27-year-old Shobhit, a resident of Gurgaon, booked a <keyword id="1428790" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="TaxiforSure">TaxiForSure</keyword> cab to travel to IGI airport. “It took me half an hour to explain to him where I stay because location accuracy is big issue with the app. When I sat in the cab, he told me I had cancelled the trip. I was shocked because I hadn’t. He said he couldn’t take me till I booked it again. So I had to cancel the ride only to find the app showing no cabs. I struggled for 10 minutes, but it was of no use. The driver refused to take me and I could not find any other cabs in the vicinity. I ultimately missed my flight. It’s name should be TaxiNotSure,” he says, adding that he wrote a stinker mail to the company, but never got a reply. 
 
In another encounter, Tokas Jain, who works as sales professional in GSK, was on an official Kolkata trip. “I had booked a cab in Kolkata and it never reached me. It picked up some other passenger with my booking and the same was billed to me. Fortunately, I use cash for making payments. Had there been balance in my wallet, I wonder whether they would have ever refunded the money,” he says. 
 Deepti Purohit, a journalist based out of Noida, had not even booked a cab, she had merely installed Ola on her phone. A day later, she found a bill in her mailbox that said she had taken a trip and had an unbilled amount of nearly Rs 400 to bear. Dumbfounded, she wrote a mail to the company, who later apologized to her for the mistake.<keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> had one of its users Aditya Samod fuming with anger when money was debited thrice from his wallet without any reason, “I added Rs 500 by Paytm. I booked taxis thrice, but none of the drivers come. They either did not answer the call or refused to come. But every time I cancelled a ride, Uber charged me Rs 150. I wrote to them, but have only been assured assistance so far,” he says. 
 
Kaamna, a PR executive, who often uses these apps, made a significant observation: “Drivers take a longer route deliberately that results in inflated bills. I boarded a cab from Barakhamba to Gurgaon and he intentionally took a long deserted route. Despite telling him to take the shorter route, he refused. I called up TFS helpline number. They put me on hold for more than 10 minutes. I was all alone yelling at the driver and it was evening time. There was no response from customer care. Till now, I have not received even a single call from their side to know if I am safe,” she says. “And the drivers are talking on the phone all the time!,” she complains. 
 
Aakanksha Jain, a journalist, said one of these days she had booked TaxiForSure cab. “On reaching the destination, I never got the bill on my app. I asked the driver and he said it was Rs 265. I paid him. But later, I was shocked to find out that the actual bill was Rs 172,” she says. She also highlights how Ola autos are merely an addition to the Ola app, but absolutely inefficient in practice. “I got off the metro to book an auto since the app showed options just 2 minutes away. For the next ten minutes, I stood there as the app scanned the options, but none of the auto drivers accepted the booking. Finally, I had to take an auto from nearby,” she says. 
 
Personally, I felt it was bizarre when the Indica car’s shabby Ola driver said to me “please rate me 5 star, madam” with a wide grin as he dropped me off. After paying him the money, I went back to the app to give him 1 rating, and was shocked to see that he already had an overall rating of 4.5! He perhaps requests each traveler to extend the favour. Moreover, I am surprised why Ola allowed such a car to be in its list! <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=uber">Uber</a>, TaxiForSure and the likes. It’s time you do something about it! 
 
(Image credits: BCCL)

Where Taxi Hailing Apps in
India are going terribly wrong!

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Shailesh Andrade/ReutersBhavish Aggarwal, chief executive of Uber's main rival in India, Ola</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Indian ride-hailing firm Ola will launch in London on February 10.</li><li>Like Uber, Ola lets users summon a cab via an app.</li><li>Uber is the most popular ridehailing service in the UK, but its continued presence in London has been threatened after the regulator declined to renew its license in the capital.</li><li>Despite being a competitor to Uber, Ola shares a major backer as it has taken funding from Japanese mega-investor SoftBank.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>London is getting yet another cab-hailing app.India's Ola is coming to the UK capital, more than a year after launching in other UK cities.Like Uber, Ola offers an easy-to-use app which lets passengers summon a private-hire cab at the click of a button.The underlying business model is also much the same, with drivers signing up as independent contractors to the app, which takes a cut of their fares. Ola isn't disclosing how much commission it's charging, but says it won't take any cut of London drivers' fares for the first six weeks of operating.Ola has been running a service in the UK since the summer of 2018 in regional cities including Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick. It landed its license to operate a service in London in July 2019, and confirmed its intention to expand <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ride-hailing-firm-ola-london-launch-after-uber-ban-2019-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">its service to the UK capital in November</a>.The news brings Ola into competition with the raft of ridehailing services already operating in London, such as Uber, Bolt/Taxify, and Kapten.Like these incumbents, Ola is offering new users discounts for signing up to the app, as well the lower commission to lure in drivers.Although Ola says its service is differentiated from competitors and it works more collaboratively with regulators, that differentiation may not be particularly clear to consumers who now face a dazzling array of ridehailing apps to choose from.Ola's arrival in London also ups the pressure on Uber, which is the dominant ride-hailing service in the UK and counts London as its biggest European market.Uber has locked horns with London's transport regulator, Transport for London (TfL) for the past few years over safety issues around its service.In November, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-loses-london-licence-2019-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Uber lost its license to operate in London</a> after the regulator found drivers operating fraudulently on its platform. The firm is appealing that decision but, if it loses, it will be forced to quit the capital.Ola declined to comment publicly when asked how it might avoid similar problems, but said it operated a 24/7 call centre for passengers with complaints. One source close to the firm told Business Insider that TfL had taken the robustness of Ola's safety measures and tech into account as part of its decision to grant an operating license.<h2>Ola and Uber share the same major investor</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Carlo Allegri/ReutersUber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.</div></div></div>Awkwardly, Ola and Uber share a major backer in Japanese mega-investor SoftBank.SoftBank invested almost $8 billion in Uber. It is thought to have invested a smaller amount in Ola although the total figure is unclear. Ola has raised $3.8 billion in funding to date.Simon Smith, head of Ola International said: "The overwhelmingly positive reception to Ola since launching in the UK in 2018 illustrates the significant demand from drivers, riders and communities. We are working closely with drivers to build a high quality and reliable service for Londoners. Launching in London is a major milestone for us and we are keen to offer a first class experience for all our customers."Axel Springer, Insider Inc.'s parent company, is an investor in Uber.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/10-up-and-coming-fintechs?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=uber&amp;itm_campaign=10-up-and-coming-fintechs-2"></a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spacex-blew-up-rocket-on-purpose-2020-1">SpaceX and NASA just blew up a Falcon 9 rocket on purpose, and it has something to do with Apollo 1</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Ola, another SoftBank-backed cab startup, will launch in London just as Uber faces being booted from the city

<keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> and <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword>, the two leading cab service providers in the country, have been in a constant battle because of their intense competition in the once fast-growing industry, and now, they have decided to further heat up the competition by launching specific services that target the value-conscious customers. 
 
Uber will be further investing in low-cost riding options like carpooling, bike taxis and auto rickshaw services so that he can appeal to a larger section of the society. "We want to make transportation available for everyone and cabs may not always be the most affordable option for all segments," said Amit Jain, VP, Uber India, about its decision to launch bikes and ricks for its customers. 
 In reply of this, Ola has come up with cheapest taxi-hailing service, called <keyword id="3291107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Micro">Ola Micro</keyword>, which provides smaller hatchbacks at minimum prices. "(It) will be the most pocket friendly mode of intra-city cab travel," said Pranay Jivrajka, Chief Operating Officer at Ola. 
 
One area where these companies are constantly facing regulatory pressure is surge pricing, their commonly used tool where cost of a cab ride increases during peak hours. It was only last week that the Karnataka state government declared that surge pricing for app-based ride-hailing services would not be allowed. 
 
This has happened because surge pricing makes the fare and other charges higher than the fare fixed by the government, which is against the rules. 
 
The competition has intensified also because of the demand for taxis going down, forcing the taxi app companies to increase the customer base for other products. "In order to tap customers who use public transport, there is a need to give economical and faster option for shorter distances," Jaspal Singh, founder of transportation consulting firm Valoriser Consultants, told ET.

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