60 years of auto: Ola bets big on the transforming culture of rickshaws

Transportation has seen some serious changes in the past few decades, but there is one thing that has remained the same – autos. They are the primary mode of first and last-mile transportation in Indian cities, towns and rural areas. After all, we don’t really have taxis, except Mumbai’s kaali peeli and Kolkata’s iconic yellow taxi. In a city like Bengaluru, until few years ago, you would have only relied on autos, which were known to demand outrageous fixed rates and also popular for not returning the change. In the past couple of years, the auto industry has been changing, and for good. As the good old autorickshaw completes 60 years since it was founded, we speak to Anand Subramanian, Senior Director, PR and Communications, and Sundeep Sahni, VP of New Initiatives, who tell us the Ola Auto story. Ola started as a cab aggregator in 2011. It was a sensible model, emulating the successful US based aggregator model. However, as countries we differ majorly in terms of how we travel, size, purchasing power and culture. It was only logical to make the most-known transportation work in favour of citizens, while ensuring auto drivers get a fair due. Ola Auto started as an experiment Not many may give heed to what an intern is saying, Ola ended up building a new category out of a suggestion by an intern. Yes, you heard that right. Subramanian tells us that it was around 2014 wherein an inter suggested the idea of getting into the same technology that we have introduced for cab booking for auto bookings as well. “It started as an experiment, but scaled up very quickly. Today it’s a full-fledged category for Ola,” he added. Today, roughly under 18 months of Ola Auto’s existence, the company has 1,20,000 auto drivers attached to the platform. " Looking back, it makes absolute sense as autos are the most basic form of personal transportation. As a country we don’t have concept of taxis, but for cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. It made a lot of sense to deliver the same experience for autos as with cabs," he explained. Bringing auto drivers to the platform For Ola, approaching auto drivers was a partnership, but unlike any other. Sahni tells us that the Ola team had to sit them down to understand the market, their pain points like driving idle, waiting for a ride and so on before they begin the journey together. Working on a plan that will help them combat the pain points and also help customers was a plan that was devised from these meetings. The company doesn’t approach or associate with any auto union, rather considers every auto driver as an entrepreneur while approaching them individually. “Auto drivers saw great value in the proposition as technology could solve their problem,” he said. “We are now celebrating 60 years of auto, but there hasn’t been any tech innovation. The auto industry had been the same since 1957, but yet maintained its popularity in India,” he added. Sahni tells us that that network referral is something that has been working for them. Once a driver starts getting more rides, exposure to technology and so on, others also join in. Ola has made it convenient for the drivers, as they will get the demand once they join in, but have the flexibility to log out whenever they wish. The company recently introduced 100 e-rickshaws in Lucknow. “The idea was to bring in the same-kind of environment-friendly and pocket friendly connectivity. It is a platform for cycle rickshaw vendors to procure a rickshaw. The platform offers financial support,” he added. The initiative was launched earlier this year as by PM Modi as part of ‘Stand Up India’. Security While the buzz word these days is bots, Sahni tells us that the company’s focus will remain the app. “Ola has multiple options from Ola bike n Gurgaon to the 12-20 seater shuttle across cities, the user-friendly, intuitive mobile app is built to make the experience seamless. It is built specially to suit Indian commuters. The focus is maintaining the consistency of the overall app experience, " Sahni said. Getting to one of the prime factors - security. The Ola app lets you track the auto ride, share it with a loved one, and give a feedback for the driver and also has a panic button for commuters built within the app connecting you to safety team and even police. Remember Bangalore resident Ranjana Shanker’s who thanked Ola driver for his generosity. The training also involves behavioral ethics, especially  with female passengers. But, what’s worth noting is the training sessions crafted for auto drivers. Subramanian says they are essentially divided into three segments - familiarising the drivers with technology, session on navigation and support system, and finally behavioral and ethics training. There is also a support system build for drivers.

Technology Technology has played a vital role in our lives. A decade ago, you wouldn’t have imagined that an auto from around your vicinity would reach your doorsteps with a touch of the button. The driver wouldn’t have imagined that a driver finds demand in his own vicinity and there will be less of idle time searching for a ride. Today, drivers use smartphone and accompanying apps along with features like Maps and Ola Money. Adding to the convenience is the support for eight local languages, which makes it even easier. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, the driver can access the app in Tamil, while in Karnataka, Kannada is the option for language of choice. Ola Money has also help drive in some changes. Christy Thompson, an Ola driver from Bengaluru told us how Ola (Money) has encouraged him to open a bank account. “I never had a bank account, this way I never put any money in the bank. Automatically, there is money being put into my bank and I have a small amount of savings. None of the auto guys do these things. So it is a better plan that every auto driver must have some kind of savings,” he explains. Besides, Ola Money has helped in many ways, he adds. “Sometimes we run out of cash, at that time, we can swipe the card to buy gas,” Thompson added. Win-win for both Reminiscing some childhood memories, Sahni adds how in younger days, one had to walk out and look for an auto. However, this has changed, as Ola Auto comes right at your doorsteps, just like your cab would. So, you get an auto at your doorsteps, there is no need to haggle and there is also the Ola Money app. While this has benefited users, drivers also get their share of due. Sahni points out that auto drivers make roughly 600 – 700 per day. The platform has increased the revenue by 40 percent. “40 percent jump is significant jump as it brings additional revenue,” adds Subramanian. Besides, they are updated with the demand in their vicinity and the idle time has reduced. They are also empowered with technology and financial facilities.