Uber is offering a new type of vehicle as part of its service: auto rickshaws. Uber Auto is here! “Autos are the most ubiquitous transport in almost any city and Indians are used to having autos around. It simply makes more sense for the auto driver and commuter to connect via our platform and use the advantage of new technologies,” Uber’s Delhi GM Gagan Bhatia said.
Ola Cabs has been running their Ola Auto successfully, and now their main competitor Uber has got into the fray as well. Unlike Ola, for Uber Auto services, there won’t be additional charges apart from the registered fare. For Ola, commuters need to pay additional Rs 10 on the registered fare as convenience charge. For the auto services, Ola does not charge any commission from the drivers on its network for every ride. Instead, drivers get a commission in the range of Rs 1,500 a month. However, when Ola had started its services for autos, it began with a monthly payment of Rs 5,000 to the drivers, later reduced to about Rs 3,000 a month. The passenger pays an additional Rs 10 as a convenience charge on the total fare.
The new service from Uber is cash only for now and works just like hailing any other type of Uber vehicle. Notably, the new service marks the first time Uber has allowed cash payments. This facility is ‘cash-only’ service for now. Besides, the fare prices are set according to the Delhi Transport Authority guidelines, which means no haggling over fares.
This service is only available in New Delhi. Haryana and UP don’t have UberAuto for now. However, according to market insiders, the company may launch such service in Mumbai and Bangalore also.
