A self-driven taxi service for Gurgaon residents soon

Trial runs for the Rent-A-Reva scheme were organised in different areas of the city on Tuesday. Sanjeev K Ahuja reports.

Trial runs for the Rent-A-Reva scheme were organised in different areas of the city on Tuesday. Residents, mostly women, enjoyed a ride on the gear-less electric car in Southcity (Phase-2), Vipul Greens and Sector 17.

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The unique initiative by automobile major Mahindra and Gurgaon-based NGO Uthaan is the first-of-its-kind service to be launched in India.

Richa Arya, a professional food critic from Rail Vihar in Sector 56 who drives a Maruti Suzuki Esteem, tried her hands on a Reva on Tuesday.

“It was a different feeling to drive a gear-less electric car that will come to us as a self-drive taxi. It is very easy to control and park in a city like Gurgaon where traffic management is not so professional and parking is a huge issue,” she added.

During the pilot run spread across 15 days, Uthaan and Mahindra will note user feedback and decide on the subscription and usage charges.

On Wednesday, trial runs will be conducted in Phase I of South City and Park View City on Sohna Road. The NGO has signed an MoU with Mahindra, the firm that manufactures the car.

“This scheme offers on-demand availability of cars without having to wait for and haggle with a taxi or an autorickshaw,” said Sanjay Kaushik, the president of Uthaan. According to the NGO, the commercial run will include 5-10 cars.