Taxi unions launch app to challenge Ola, Uber

Mumbai: Mumbaikars will now have an alternative to escape the Ola/Uber surge prices as ‘Aamchi Drive’, an app for Kaali-peeli taxis has been launched to target the same. The app saw registrations from 2,000 drivers on the first day of its launch on Thursday. The taxi unions decided to introduced the app in the hopes to give Ola/Uber a taste of their own medicine to steal away their customers during peak hours when the prices of the two cab aggregators surge to as high as six times the regular rates.

A.L. Quadros, president of the biggest taxi union — Mumbai Taximen Union — has said that though the start might be modest with very few drivers, the aim is that they want to take away Ola and Uber customers during peak hours when the fares burn a hole in passenger pockets. “Right now you are paying through your nose for these cabs during the time slot when you leave for office and back home at the end of the day, but we do not have any surge pricing and our fares will be just as they are,” said Mr Quadros.

One probable disadvantage of the application is that there could be 20 per cent increase in the normal fare. Sun Telematics, the company that has tied up with the unions and is providing the equipment for the same has said that the fare will still be much less than that of Ola or Uber. Vilas B, COO of the company said, “We will be giving you the Rs 22 of the normal fare plus 20 per cent of that but during peak hours it will still amount to almost Rs 100 lesser than Ola or Uber's surge pricing.” The app is the reincarnation of a similar one launched by the unions more than six months ago called ‘9211’, but had failed to garner enough interest from drivers.

Transport officials have said that for now the Aamchi Drive seems to be the only way that the monopoly of Ola and Uber can be challenged. An official said, “Ola and Uber have had no regard for the rule of the land. They have been blatantly breaking rules under the Motor Vehicle Act. The hope is that this union application will at least leave a dent in the operations of these aggregators.”