- By Divanshi Sharma
- Thu, 07 Dec 2023 06:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Online cab aggregator platforms in India are majorly dominated by two big names - Ola and Uber. Some other known names include Meru and inDrive as well. Rapido is known for bike-taxi which has been loved by the country’s population for daily commute to their offices and nearby places. Bike-taxi startup Rapido, which was founded in 2015, now operates in over 100 cities. In recent news, Rapido has announced its strategic entry into the cab business, launching an intra-city, SaaS-based mobility solution with Rapido Cabs.
With a 60 per cent market share in bike taxis, the startup has expanded its footprint with Rapido Cabs, introducing an initial fleet of 1.2 lakh vehicles. The company has started the service in Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Bengaluru and the company plans to expand the services to Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai in January-March 2024 and cover a total of 35 cities by September 2024, Rapido Co-founder Pavan Guntupalli said.
“Our innovative SaaS-based platform revolutionizes the conventional commission system for drivers, tackling the persistent challenge of commission sharing with aggregators. This pioneering approach ensures that drivers incur only a minimal software usage fee, marking a significant shift in the industry,” said Pavan Guntupalli.
The SaaS-based platform connects drivers and customers without exerting control over the marketplace. Within the Rapido ecosystem, drivers enjoy direct payment from customers, free from any interference by Rapido. Drivers are required to pay a nominal subscription fee. Upon reaching earnings of Rs 10,000 from the Rapido app, drivers will be subject to a modest subscription fee of Rs 500, said the company.
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While the company claimed that it will provide the lowest price in the market, a random check on the app showed that the fare of Rapido cab was higher compared to the prices offered by the established online players. Guntupalli said that the service has just been launched and the company will work with cab partners to get the cheapest fare across 80 per cent of the route in the city where it operates.
(With Agencies Inputs)