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Old 16th March 2018, 17:22   #946
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Ola, Uber drivers want to go on indefinite strike since they are not earning 1.5 Lakh a month driving cars which they had thought they would!
No offence, but if these guys were sure about what they were being lured into was true, then most of us would have been driving cabs. And I still believe an Ola/Uber driver earns substantially more than an experienced software laborer, besides having a stable job.

Last edited by jetsetgo08 : 16th March 2018 at 17:25.
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Old 16th March 2018, 17:23   #947
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by ksameer1234 View Post
Ola, Uber drivers want to go on indefinite strike since they are not earning 1.5 Lakh a month driving cars which they had thought they would!
Both companies will be laughing their way home over the stupidity of these drivers. Maybe the drivers would have had a better earning if they did not have to rope in all their friends and relatives telling them the same story of earning so much every month. Instead they played to the companies' tunes and added drivers. Now at least in Bangalore, a lot of drivers have quit driving for these companies and have returned to driving for company cabs etc. Even then if it isnt working then both parties have to relook on their sustainability. How will these drivers now reinvest in cars? Guess they have to sell their car, use the money as down payment for a new car. Unfortunately, their innocence or rather stupidity has been exploited by the service providers, who consist of a bunch of technical and management guys who know their tactics well.

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Originally Posted by ksameer1234 View Post
I also want to go on strike since haven't become a millionaire yet which everyone said I would after completing my engineering!

Just on a lighter note, not to offend any fresh engineer, even they would sign up for Uber if they actually promised 1.5L earnings per month. When I passed out of engineering, the average mass recruiter didnt even pay half that money, and the only difference is market perception of working in an MNC. Hence, at that point of time before I got my actual job, I would have worked as an Uber driver if I was paid that much.
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Old 16th March 2018, 18:29   #948
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

Well, Uber initially started in Bangalore as luxury taxi service for first few months. I was elated to find C class & Accord on my initial rides to airport for slightly higher prices, compared to Meru then.
Fast forward today, I dare not to take Uber/Ola on my late night airport rides and end up parking long term at airport, after a couple of really close calls due to dozing drivers. Although, long term parking works out to be more expensive, it's certainly safer compared to riding with an overworked, half asleep driver from Ola/Uber.
Unfortunately, Ola & Uber have not bothered about the quality of drivers, their work hours and work conditions.

I would have been happier, if drivers were actually protesting about these core issues, than the more money part.
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Old 16th March 2018, 21:11   #949
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

Today while at Pune, took few Uber rides.

One of the driver's mentioned that Uber is giving them vouchers from Big Basket for each 5 star rating received.
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Old 26th March 2018, 13:40   #950
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

Uber pulls out of Southeast Asia by selling operations to regional rival Grab

Uber has announced that it is selling its Southeast Asian Business to rival Grab. Under the terms, Grab will get access to Uber's operations in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, including its food delivery business UberEats.

In return, Uber will get a 27% stake in Grab and current Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi will join the board of Grab. This comes after Uber consolidating its Chinese operations with local ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing in mid-2016.

The company has burned through more than $10bn since it was founded nine years ago and since his appointment to the top job last year, Mr. Khosrowshahi has repeatedly signaled that he’s willing to rationalize Uber’s geographic presence to safeguard the company’s financial sustainability.

IMO, the ultimate winner is Softbank group which happens to be an investor in both Uber and Grab.

What does this mean for Uber in India? I guess, only time will tell. But again, in my opinion, because of Softbank being a common investor in both Ola and Uber, there may be a remote possibility of something like this happening.

Source: Independent.co.uk
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The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.-ubergrab.jpg  

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Old 26th March 2018, 13:54   #951
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Last week due to strikes of uber/ola, there was surprisingly very less traffic during peak hours and that too on a weekday in Bangalore.
Makes me wonder if we are better off without them!
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Old 26th March 2018, 14:10   #952
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by audioholic View Post
Both companies will be laughing their way home over the stupidity of these drivers. Unfortunately, their innocence or rather stupidity has been exploited by the service providers, who consist of a bunch of technical and management guys who know their tactics well.
Hence, at that point of time before I got my actual job, I would have worked as an Uber driver if I was paid that much.
They were under the impression that incentives will be forever, plus they never expected the Trip based system to cease, still professional drivers are happy with their income. The amateurs who tricked the operators and customers initially with fake trips are the ones who are facing the heat. They just did not ruin themselves but also brought their friends into the business.
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Old 26th March 2018, 14:30   #953
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by abhi7013 View Post
... Makes me wonder if we are better off without them!
We would be better off without them. We are even more better off when there are no buses!

Sadly, though, those who rely on those forms of transport would not agree with us! Philosophy is hard: one person's perfect world is another's transport nightmare
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Old 26th March 2018, 14:40   #954
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by abhi7013 View Post
Last week due to strikes of uber/ola, there was surprisingly very less traffic during peak hours and that too on a weekday in Bangalore.
Makes me wonder if we are better off without them!
Was there a strike in Bangalore also? I thought it was only in Mumbai and Bangalore drivers did not join the strike.
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Old 26th March 2018, 14:43   #955
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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom View Post
We would be better off without them. We are even more better off when there are no buses!

Sadly, though, those who rely on those forms of transport would not agree with us! Philosophy is hard: one person's perfect world is another's transport nightmare
Yes, point to be noted! I wonder how they managed it on that day.
@DigitalOne yes there was a strike here in Bangalore too. Not sure if everyone took active part but the streets were relatively free.
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Old 31st March 2018, 12:15   #956
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

Took an Ola after a while yesterday (I'm a Uber loyalist). I looked at all the range of cabs but booking for only the Prime cabs went through.

In the Xcent, there was a Ola-branded 9" tab in the centre console and a smaller one at the rear. The moment the OTP was entered, there was an audio "Welcome Mr. ABC to Ola" message, and a thank you one after the trip ended. There were a host of multimedia options on the rear tab, Apple Music (!!) included. Pleasantly surprised by all the "premium" experience on the Prime cab. Clearly, Softbank's money is being put to good use.

The other thing: before I confirmed the booking, I got a message asking if trip insurance is to be included. It is Rs. 1 for intra-city cabs, Rs. 10 for rentals and Rs. 15 for outstation.
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Old 31st March 2018, 14:03   #957
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by TejasKinger View Post
Uber pulls out of Southeast Asia by selling operations to regional rival Grab
....
What does this mean for Uber in India? I guess, only time will tell. But again, in my opinion, because of Softbank being a common investor in both Ola and Uber, there may be a remote possibility of something like this happening.
...
The possibility is much more than we would have imagined:

"While the cab-hailing majors, Ola and Uber, are busy handling the strikes by their drivers on the frontend, Ola is in talks to acquire Uber’s Indian operations, reported Business Standard. The deal will be facilitated by the common stakeholder, SoftBank.

Sources close to the matter told Inc42 that Ola will acquire Uber’s operations in India and the deal has become fierce. The finer details of the deal are still under discussion and will be revealed in the coming months.

The person quoted above didn’t reveal the executives involved in the deal but went on to inform that the deal is being negotiated by SoftBank, which is the biggest investor in both the companies.

Earlier, Rajiv Misra, CEO of the SoftBank Vision Fund, stated that the company should focus on recovering its market share in the US and growing in key European markets, to have a faster path to profitability. He had also added that Uber exiting unprofitable countries was not solely about cutting its losses but that growth prospects were more promising in its core markets."

https://inc42.com/buzz/ola-might-acq...he-matchmaker/

This of course ought to change the dynamics of the industry big time.

Last edited by avisidhu : 31st March 2018 at 14:04.
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Old 31st March 2018, 16:15   #958
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

While I do agree with Rajiv Mishras strategy on focusing on Ubers core markets, but if Ola does buy Uber it will be very bad for consumers. Be ready to shell out a lot more.

The govt should step in to avoid a monopoly in the making.
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Old 31st March 2018, 16:45   #959
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
While I do agree with Rajiv Mishras strategy on focusing on Ubers core markets, but if Ola does buy Uber it will be very bad for consumers. Be ready to shell out a lot more.

The govt should step in to avoid a monopoly in the making.
It's not a monopoly. There is regular taxis, there is Meru and there also other taxi companies. Plus more will come up if Ola-Uber merge

Anyway, I think the loss making discounts from Ola have already stopped. Nowadays, I find Bombay Yellow-Black taxis to be cheaper most of the time. Or at worst same as Ola. I don't use Uber, but I assume it's the same.
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Old 31st March 2018, 20:07   #960
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Re: The Indian Taxi Revolution - Uber, Ola, TaxiforSure, Meru etc.

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Originally Posted by carboy View Post
It's not a monopoly. There is regular taxis, there is Meru and there also other taxi companies. Plus more will come up if Ola-Uber merge

Anyway, I think the loss making discounts from Ola have already stopped. Nowadays, I find Bombay Yellow-Black taxis to be cheaper most of the time. Or at worst same as Ola. I don't use Uber, but I assume it's the same.
Internet based taxi should be considered separate and the tel ribald should not be allowed to merge.

Future app based taxis - really? You can't predict the future and going by that logic Competition watchdogs wouldn't exist.

Last edited by GTO : 8th April 2018 at 23:22. Reason: First & last lines were unnecessary - please watch the tone and keep it cool
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