Cabs being run on online booking system seem to have gained an edge over autorickshaws in the city.
Although the concept is relatively new to Tiruchi when compared to other cities, cab operators say the online system has caught the fancy of customers within a few months.
According to sources, individual cab operators, who are tempted by the high fixed rent offered by online operators, are making a beeline to join the system.
A rough estimate said more than 400 cars have so far been deployed in the online system in Tiruchi. Of them, about 200 cars are with Ola, an online booking company that launched its service in Tiruchi three months ago. Besides Fast Track and NTL taxis, at least six Tiruchi-based small time operators are offering their services.
New age cab companies lure individual car operators by offering fixed rent package ranging from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 36,000 a month. Moreover, they are even given the rent in advance.
Upon receiving bookings online or mobile phones, the companies send messages to the respective cab drivers to pick up the waiting passengers.
“Gone were the days when we waited at taxi stands for hours to find a customer. The online booking system has made our job easy. It benefits both cab operators and customers,” says driver of a Ola cab.
It charges a minimum of Rs. 50 for the first 2 km and Rs. 12 for every additional km. Cab drivers say the number of trips have increased sharply since they became part of online booking companies. Many commuters feel that cabs have become cheaper than autorickshaws.
“Customers feel that new age cabs are reliable, safe, and cheaper. Since we don’t charge additional fare for night travel and air condition facility, they prefer cabs over autorickshaws,” another cab driver said.
It has had its impact on autorickshaws in Tiruchi, a section of them are reluctantly following the new fare fixed by the government recently. Autorickshaw drivers feel the online booking system has become a threat to their livelihood.
There are reports that a few cab drivers were beaten up for parking cars near the auto stand. A few auto drivers were booked for assaulting cab drivers in the city recently.
