Hyderabad Metro Rail, L&T Metro Rail and redBus have joined hands to provide last and first mile connectivity with the launch of bike and car pool services.
CEO of redBus, Prakash Sangam told mediapersons on Monday that it allows office-goers to avail and offer rides on their respective bikes or cars while commuting between home and workplaces. Ride givers and takers are both connected through rPool on the redBus app and users can purchase points which can be redeemed at fuel stations, Paytm, Amazon and similar wallets. These can be purchased through credit/debit cards, wallets, etc.
For now, rPool is not taking any commission and has put the price between ₹0-5 for car pool per kilometre and ₹0-4 rupees for a bike ride with each ride giver entitled to four such trips a day as per international practice, he said. Users can create ride with their source, destination, date and time to find matching riders, invite them, confirm and travel. Ride givers have to share vehicle details and route plan in addition.
Privacy and safety
Mr. Sangam assured absolute privacy and safety for both parties as calls and chats between ride giver and taker are ‘masked’.
Further, the giver can map the route for a taker to join in only if it is on the same route. “All transactions are online and we also verify the mobile number and company e-mail ID is a must for registering. We check the vehicle registration and driving licences, too” Mr. Sangam said.
If the organisation e-mail ID is not available, users will have to provide Government-mandated ID cards like PAN and Aadhaar. Ratings are to be given for ride givers and takers, and those will be visible to users. Metro rail authorities have offered to provide free parking and designated slots at all stations, he explained.
Pilot studies have shown that the average cost of bike/car pooling is way below the cost of hailing auto or cabs, he claimed, hence it can be best option for metro rail passengers for reaching offices or homes.
For instance, from Raidurg station to Financial District, it would cost just ₹45 whereas it could be ₹147 by cab and ₹110 by auto, said Mr. Sangam.
Free insurance cover is being given for both parties and about 1,000 metro smart cards with ₹50 prepaid is to be give away to promote the concept. There are international studies to point out that shared rides are more economical, put less vehicles on road and give impetus to public transport. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology research showed 3,000 shared cars is equal to 13,000 taxis, he added.
HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy pointed out that varied solutions are necessary to reduce traffic congestion as public transport too needs first and last mile connectivity. With more patronage, he expects the price to come to be between ₹2/3 per km.
There will not be any issue with regulatory authorities since this is not commercial service but shared service for benefits of cutting down vehicles on road, pollution and encouraging public transport, he said.
HMR chief engineer DVS Raju, L&TMRH chief marketing officer Rishi Verma, redBus marketing head Pallavi Chopra and vice-president Phaneesh Gururaj were present.
