Like Ola, Uber, you can now book Mumbai’s kaali-peelis on mobile phone app

Mumbai city news: The new app will allow lakhs of taxis commuters to book black-and-yellow cabs without dealing with fare refusal

Mumbaiites on Thursday got an app – Amachi (Our) Drive – to book black-and-yellow AC and non-AC cabs as easily as Ola and Uber, without surge pricing.

The app will have a panic button to report emergencies. (File)

The new app will allow lakhs of taxis commuters to book black-and-yellow cabs without dealing with fare refusal. Also, the taxi drivers will pick up passengers from their doorstep.

In the absence of transport minister Diwakar Raote, the taxi unions launched the app by the hands of deputy RTO Sanjay Sasane and other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Sasane said, “App-based booking will be a win-win for both cabbies and customers.”

Taxi union leader AL Quadros said if taxi drivers don’t adapt to change, they will be wiped out of the competition. “People don’t like to hail taxis from roads. They want it at their doorstep. We need to change and move to app-based taxis,”said Quadros.

While there will be no surge pricing, commuters will have to pay Rs5 more than the government-approved fare to avail the facility.

Passengers can pay using mobile wallets, which has offered Rs100 cashback for first three rides.

The app will have a panic button to report emergencies. Passengers can also check the estimated fare. Once they book the ride, they will receive a one-time password via SMS.

Cabbies in the vicinity will get an alert about the ride and the cabbie who first accepts it will come to pick up passenger.

The app, developed by IT firm Sun Telematics Private Limited, includes drivers affiliated to the Mumbai Taximen’s Union and Mumbai Taxi Association.

Ashutosh Vaidya, head of operations of Sun Telematics, said they have tied up with 2,000 cabbies . “All taxi drivers have been given proper training on use of app. We will also give them behavioural training soon,” he said.

The app is available on the Android and IOS platforms and will support 20 Indian languages, besides English. Vaidya said more than 5,000 people have downloaded the app before the launch.

This is a second attempt by taxi unions to get an app developed for around 45,000 black-and-yellow cabs.

Earlier in 2015, the unions had launched the 9211 Taxi app in collaboration with a private firm, but it failed to get response from the passengers or cabbies.