A smooth commute

cab services

The per kilometre cost of Mangalyaan is lesser than the basic auto rickshaw fare in Bangalore’!

Most of us have laughed at this joke, which has been trending on all social networking sites these days. But jokes apart, travelling by auto has indeed become an expensive affair in the City which is why a number of people are opting to travel by cabs/taxis. Though they come at a slightly higher price, Bangaloreans don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks for more comfort and safety. Besides, who wants to argue with the auto drivers for change, they say! 

With the extended deadline on nightlife, cabs have become all the more sought-after among party-goers. After all, it’s safer and helps them let their hair down without worrying too much about finding their way back home. Anirudh Kheny, management consultant, KPMG, prefers to travel by the cab especially during the weekends. “If I am going out for a drink with friends, I find it a much better option. Even on a weekday evening when there is a lot of traffic or when it rains, it’s always easier to book a cab. Besides, sometimes they work out cheaper than an auto,” he says. “I also like going by a cab instead of driving if I am travelling long distances. Why battle through the traffic, look for directions and spoil your mood before you reach your destination?” he asks. Uber is his favourite taxi service in the City. 

And it’s not just the young professionals who opt for a cab. It is the top choice of many students too. Sourabh Pandey, a final-year B.Com student of MS Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, always travelled by cabs, preferably Ola Cabs. “I live near college and have travelled by both auto and cab to Electronic City to visit my friends. I found travelling by cab cheaper,” he exclaims. “Besides, even if you are paying a slightly extra price for much better comfort and safety, it’s totally worth it,” he adds. 

Most of these services have a mobile app thanks to which bookings become easier as Sourabh points out, “The apps have some attractive offers at times. For instance, if you refer a friend to use the cab, you and your friend can get a certain amount of money credited to your account.”

Cab service owners, of course, are delighted. According to Siddhartha Pahwa, Group CEO, Meru Cabs, “There has been a 30 per cent growth every month in the number of cab users and more than 80 per cent of this consists of first-time users.” He adds, “Instead of haggling on the road with auto drivers, you can travel comfortably in an air-conditioned cab. Plus you can also book them from the comfort of your house.

” Siddhartha has noticed many trends in the market lately. “Firstly, we have a number of women customers as the cabs come with safety features. Secondly, we predict that a majority of young professional working in cities, who travel by cabs to their workplaces, will soon choose to travel by a good quality radio taxi instead of buying a car, especially during weekends,” he adds. The tech-savvy population of Bangalore is a large user of the Meru Cabs app, he says. “Totally, we have had more than 5 lakh downloads and a significant portion of this is from Bangalore,” he notes.  Rajiv Vij, Managing Director, Carzonrent, feels that people are becoming more safety and health conscious nowadays. “With the pollution level in Bangalore increasing by the day, a cab is a far safer and healthier option. Also, the distance and the size of the City have increased and so has the average income of Bangaloreans. So travellers will definitely choose a cab over an auto. The auto was never a safe or comfortable option anyway,” he says. 

Rajiv feels that this trend is only on the rise. “Be it students, young executives, older people or even ladies who go out for kitty parties, everyone prefers to travel by a cab nowadays,” he sums up.