Bengaluru Auto Unions' Namma Yatri to charge subscription fees from drivers: Report

Bengaluru auto union's Namma Yatri app, which was launched as an alternative to Ola and Uber, will start charging subscription fees from drivers from September.

Bengaluru auto union’s ‘Namma Yatri’ app, that was launched to counter aggregator giants including Ola and Uber, has decided to introduce subscription fees for drivers from September onwards, a Moneycontrol report stated. Drivers will have to either choose to pay ₹25 for an unlimited number of rides or ₹3.5 per ride, for which no fees will be charged after 10 rides.

Namma Yatri was launched by the Autorickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU) in Bengaluru. (HT Photo)

READ | Auto union launches ‘Namma Yatri’ app to counter Ola, Uber

The app was launched in November last year in the midst of a tussle between the Karnataka transport department and ride-hailing giants Ola and Uber, which were accused of charging exorbitant fees to their customers.

An official from the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU) told the publication that the subscription fee is being charged to “maintain the app, cover expenses, and manage a customer care centre”. He stated that the decision to charge a nominal subscription fee was announced first in February and that the fee was determined after conducting several surveys.

READ | Auto union’s ‘Namma Yatri’ mobile app completes over 360k rides, earns ₹6 cr

In a bid to ease the drivers in to the process, the ride-hailing app also introduced an initial offer, wherein the driver would have to pay Re 1 per ride for the month of September.

As many as 35,000 drivers have selected plans according to their preferences and around 7,500 of them have completed the subscription process already, with 6,000 more opting for the initial offer, a spokesperson from the Namma Yatri app said.