Ola Autos

An app-based taxi service provider has roped in autorickshaws which will now be, literally , at your beck and call.
Ola, the service provider, has made a soft launch with about 1,000 autos. If initial commuter reactions are anything to go by, fleecing by auto drivers will soon be history . Ola autos, unlike cabs, can be booked only through the mobile app and not over the call centre. Ola representatives said this was not yet official. “This is a beta version we are trying out in three cities ­ Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune,“ said Ola marketing head Anand Subramanian.
Autos booked through the app charge Rs.10 more as `convenience fee.' The barter: A ride by the meter. It's a fair deal,“ said K Ashok, who took a ride on Thursday. “It saves me the haggle.“
Auto drivers who have signed up, not only get the fare amount, but also Rs.1,500 per week from the service provider. “I know it's a promotional deal,“ said Mohammed Ismail, a driver with Ola. “But I am not complaining.“
Another driver, Shiva, was a little suspicious. “I do not understand how they make a profit by paying us so much. Hope it stays this way ,“ he said.
Sources from Ola say this is a trial period. “The auto sector is completely different. Our cab services are much more curated as the drivers are trained and the cars are audited for maintenance. Auto drivers are on the hand are on their own.We have no control over them. We are essentially just a booking company . We are trying to see if this can go on,“ he said.
Ola runs the `Kaali Peeli' service in Mumbai where the yellow and black taxis are part of their network.“We were able to expand quickly as our role was just to get commuters for the taxi driver and a taxi for commuter,“ said the source.