Indian roads never fail to surprise. This labyrinth sees buses, two wheelers, taxis, cycles and autos among other vehicles coexist, and race ahead. In the rigmarole of daily commute, India’s working population is becoming increasingly mobile. With this comes the need for reliable daily commute options.
An improvement of spending capacity has fostered the call-a-taxi market. With last mile connectivity choices still being a daily battle, the charm of auto rickshaws continues to be my go-to choice. While purposefulness of auto rickshaws has often drawn flak owing to the haughty and sometimes rude rickshaw drivers who refuse service or overcharge at free will, I find Ola Auto to be ethical. They’re here to work and don’t spend all day hanging out at a stand refusing service. A rickshaw’s size makes it easy to travel along at a relatively acceptable pace even on single lane roads, and make it on time when I’m running a bit late, which I usually almost always am.
Ola has capitalised on a vital lifeline through rickshaws by using an already functional system to better capacity. Walking to an auto stand or hailing one is always an option but, there’s a superior convenience of an Ola Auto driving to my pick up point. The experience is uniform irrespective of which city you reside in. As I travel constantly for work, navigating through new cities on short work trips can be difficult if travel in a new city isn’t organised by the company.
Not knowing which way to head is a real problem. Depending on public transport may not be an ideal solution and setting foot in a taxi or rickshaw requires you to blend in, and depend on map services, so you aren’t taken for a ride.
I’m pleasantly surprised at the standardized experience Ola rickshaw drivers provide, irrespective of which city I’m in. It doesn’t matter whether I’m in Pune, Bombay, Bangalore, or Delhi, Ola Auto service offers a sense of comfort, and reliability.
Wherever I am, an auto on call is never more than five minutes away. The experience is alike in metros and non-metros. On an Ola Auto ride, there are no unpleasant situations thrown my way. Efficiency remains a top reason for functionality. Auto rickshaw drivers aren’t new to the job, and their know-how of roads is hard to match.
Despite this awareness, the route maps add further to the ease of navigation – both to the driver and commuter, especially if it is a new route or new city etc.
Additionally, availability is key advantage. With more rickshaw drivers joining these services, a search for one isn’t likely to leave one disappointed. A rickshaw can be booked at any hour depending on availability, with a small service charge (different for different cities). This process eliminates any possibility of haggling with rickshaw drivers, which is annoying for the most part, and there’s no scope of being overcharged in the sly.
An easy booking, followed by a courtesy call guarantees my rickshaw reaches a pickup point in quick time. Drivers are courteous, and disciplined and are doing the service proud.
I always, and always only pay for exactly what I use. In a big way, this strengthens Ola Auto service as a value for money choice.
The quintessential auto rickshaw may have been dissed and berated owing to driver behaviour as cab services began gaining popularity but Ola Auto has changed that positively. I’ve not met a single rude driver in a long time. In fact, they’ve been polite, timely, and helpful. They even return your change for the fare promptly without ever making an excuse of not having enough change.
