[Thad E Ginathom]

There doesn't seem to be any sympathy for drivers having a say in whether they want to accept a particular destination. I think there are two sides to this, and I wonder if a driver should not see the destination before choosing the accept the passenger.

London black cabs (elitist, luxury, expensive things) are not supposed to refuse any destination within a given area. Of course, they do, particularly if it is "saarth of the river."

[Gansan]

We have to enter the destination in the Uber app before the ride is accepted. The drivers don't ask "where to, sir" unlike Ola drivers. And sure enough, I have seen both the pick-up and drop off points clearly marked in the drivers' app, by which they navigate.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Gansan

We have to enter the destination in the Uber app before the ride is accepted. The drivers don't ask "where to, sir" unlike Ola drivers. And sure enough, I have seen both the pick-up and drop off points clearly marked in the drivers' app, by which they navigate.

The drivers do not know until you start the journey

[Captain Haddock]

The situation in kochi is very good for uber, I hardly take my car for short errands, There is good availability and most drivers are good chaps, never faced an issue with Uber, Ola I am yet to use

[balajisv]

Ola shuts it's TaxiForSure service. Lays off 700 employees.

http://www.business-standard.com/art...1700132_1.html

[sanchari]

Originally Posted by balajisv

Ola shuts it's TaxiForSure service. Lays off 700 employees.

http://<br /> http://wap.business-s...2_1.html<br />

Sad to see TaxiForSure shut down. It used to be good in Bangalore at least. One could call and book a cab and they would show up at appointed time. No surge pricing etc. And with their nano taxis etc, were pretty affordable compared to other radio taxis.

[avingodb]

Delhi airport is now charging Rs 150 from Ola and Uber cabs at the arrival section. The net result is, you have to either walk 500/600 mtrs where the departure ramp lands or pay Rs 150. and the queues at Meru and other counters are back!

[balajisv]

Similarly, Uber is charging 549 under its 'Airport to City' service from Bangalore International Airport. The drop can be anywhere in the city. This fare includes the toll too!
But, yes, you will have to walk towards the Uber zone at P2 Parking section to board the cab. There are Uber personnel to assist you till your booked cab arrives. Chairs and Umbrellas are offered for your comfort

[balechaparka]

Mahinda & Mahindra ties up with Ola to offer drivers special finance services, Ola cab drivers to purchase Mahindra cars at special prices and low cost loans along with subsidized insurance premiums and maintenance packages.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/54176025.cms

[AkMar]

I wonder which cars are a part of this deal. Apart from Verito, can;t see any other Mahindra that fits in

[noopster]

Originally Posted by AkMar

I wonder which cars are a part of this deal. Apart from Verito, can;t see any other Mahindra that fits in

My last Uber cab was a Mahindra Xylo. There are a number of other vehicles in their stable like the Scorpio, Quanto plus the new releases like TUV 300, Nuvosport that they may want to plonk into the taxi segment as well. So it isn't that strange.

[RSR]

I guess Mahindra have finally come to terms with the fact that intelligent transport solutions (ride aggregators & self-drive rentals) are here to stay! Some top executive in the company earlier felt such startup firms were a threat to their sales. I guess it didn't take them long to read the writing on the wall.

Was it Tata Motors who signed a similar deal with Ola's chief rival Uber earlier? If so, the Tata vs Mahindra rivalry is indirectly entering yet another new space in the form of Uber vs Ola.

Tata, Toyota & Maruti Suzuki (and to a lesser extent Hyundai, Nissan, Chevrolet & Ford as well) have found a steady, reliable sales avenue in the form of operators driving for such cab aggregators. It only makes sense that Mahindra would want to carve a piece of this pie.

I've already used a couple of Xylos with Uber (despite choosing Uber Go & X, not the seven-seater XL). Apart from Xylos, they can sell Veritos, Verito Vibes, Nuvosports & even KUV1OOs to Ola operators.

I'm sure Ola customers would greatly enjoy a ride in Veritos & Verito Vibes, for these offer an excellent, very comfortable back bench and fantastic ride quality, thanks to that superb French suspension!

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki to train Uber drivers

As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed on Thursday, Maruti Suzuki will assess and train 30,000 commercial drivers for Uber over the next three years. The programme will be rolled out first in Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi-NCR and then will be extended to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune. Maruti has 370 driving schools and six institutes of driving and traffic research. Uber is also forging an alliance with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to impart other skills to its existing driver partners.

The Maruti Suzuki-Uber tieup will create a win-win situation for both firms. Maruti Suzuki has a widespread network of driving schools and Uber needs skilled drivers for growth, especially beyond metros. In the short-term automakers are taking different directions in associating with ride-sharing companies because in the long-term everyone knows that a major chunk of business will come in from cab aggregators

Link

[bblost]

Last night I landed at the Hyderabad airport at around 1 AM. Decided to take an Ola. Walked down to the Pick up point and booked a cab.

It was right in front of me. Loaded the luggage and then the driver asked if I will be paying with Ola Money.
I said yes.
He then made a story that he was low on diesel while I can clearly see the dashboard indicate almost 4 bars in the fuel gauge.
I was pissed and told him in clear terms that he can cancel the ride and if he has a problem with Ola Wallet he should not be working for them.
He dilly dallied for about 5-10 mins and cancelled the ride. I was charged Rs 50 as cancellation fee.
By now I am loud and taking him to task about this.

Then I book another Ola. Then find the car parked just 10 meters away. Walk down and the driver is missing. I call him a couple of times but he does not pick up and then he also cancels.

I then book another Ola. Now I am ready for a fight. As soon as I spot the cab the driver says he will not accept Ola Money. I blow up.
Tell him in clear words that there will be a complaint lodged and I will follow it up with Ola.

By now a lot of drivers are around me and while not directly shouting at the drivers, they are all supporting me.

One of the drivers asks me to book Ola and he will take me home.
I book Ola but another driver took up the booking. He had no issues dropping me home and getting paid via Ola Money.

If this message reaches Ola, these are my 3 tickets lodged on your stupid drivers.
20405444, 20406017 and 20406028.

It is my understanding that this is not a one off incident.
Ola either educate your drivers or you will ultimately be the loser.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by bblost

If this message reaches Ola, these are my 3 tickets lodged on your stupid drivers. 20405444, 20406017 and 20406028.
It is my understanding that this is not a one off incident.
Ola either educate your drivers or you will ultimately be the loser.

Tweet with #olacabs and a link to this story. They will pick it up ASAP.

I have had good results with this approach so far.