Pooch-O app for hiring autos in Delhi now accused of being faulty

An application to **hire autorickshaws in Delhi** which was launched this month with much fanfare has been downloaded on over 10,000 smartphones so far, but most users complain that the contact numbers of drivers provided were incorrect.   “I downloaded this app (‘Pooch-O’) after I read about it in the newspapers. But this app is not proving to be of any help to me as in most cases the contact numbers of the auto drivers provided were found to be incorrect,” says Sunita Gupta, a user of the app.   “On Friday, I wanted to locate an auto near to my place that I could hire so I called up on the number that was provided to me by the application. The person using the number was not an auto driver, but a resident of Gurgaon,” she says.   ‘Pooch-O’, developed by Delhi Integrated Multi-Model Transit System (DIMTS), was launched on July 11 by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung at his Secretariat.   The app allows users to locate autos, fitted with GPS, nearest to them and then call drivers, whose numbers are registered with DIMTS, on their mobile phones and book a trip.The user reviews on Google Play Store from where the application can be downloaded too weren’t very positive.   “Auto Driver’s number incorrect. The auto numbers are incorrect mostly (sic),” says Aman Gupta in his review.Users suggested that before launching the app, DIMTS should have verified drivers’ numbers registered with them.   “One day I was getting late for work so I called up the number of an auto driver which was provided to me by the app and asked if he would go to Mukherjee Nagar. The person who picked up the phone said he was not an auto driver instead it his son who drives an auto. He also said that this was not his number,” says Rakesh Kumar Sharma, a journalist.There are 24,000 autos in Delhi which are fitted with GPS and DIMTS hopes that more autos will come under GPS so that a large number of people can be benefited with this app.   When contacted, DIMTS officials said they were updating their data, including drivers’ numbers, and assured that the users will not have to face such problems after a few days.   “We are now updating numbers of all drivers registered with DIMTS on Pooch-O app. We have also got to know about the problems that people are facing. After updating all data, which will be completed within next few days, users will not have to face such difficulties any more,” a senior DIMTS official, who didn’t wish to be named, said.   PTI