[tsk13]

Originally Posted by maglev

Yes all radio cabs in Delhi / NCR are run on CNG.

Thanks, in that case margins for drivers will be much higher in NCR of Delhi than their counterparts in other cities where Non-CNG Vehicles are used as cabs.

[psp62in]

Originally Posted by GTO

I, for one, am VERY happy with Meru Cab services. .

Plus one to that. Very good service!

Originally Posted by GTO

In some situations, a Meru cab actually works out cheaper (airport to home). And in the others, Meru's well worth the premium (70 bucks more for a 1 hour drive from work to home in an air-conditioned clean modern car)..

Agreed! In fact my experience shows that invariably Meru is cheaper than the Blue A/C cabs (coolcab)in Mumbai, and may a times it is only slightly higher than the std. cabs. For example I hv been paying about Rs. 230-250 to travel from my home to Mumbai Sahar International Airport on every occassion in last 1 yr, whereas earlier I used to pay 300-350 bucks to the coolcabs (I suspect most of the std/coolcabs meters are rigged somehow. What else can explain their higher charge otherwise?). I am eagerly awaiting for the authorities to start Meru or similar service from Sahar International Airport.

Note: There are a few other fleet cab services in Mumbai, but not as efficient and popular as yet as Meru. These are - Goldcab, Megacab & Forsche (the last one is for women by women)

[shankar.balan]

I second this - the Meru Cabs are safe and clean and usually have very decent drivers. The safety aspect is particularly important in the case of late night flights or early morning flights and in particular, for lady passengers.
Ive been using them ever since they started up and indeed, used one yesterday also, to and from the airport. (Indigo Marina)

The driver Nanjesh, asked me when exactly I was coming back - on my telling him that I'd be back at 8pm the same evening he said he would be happy to wait for me - (the driver is quadrilingual in English, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi too - amazing chap.)

I said sure and when I was boarding my return plane I rang him and told him the ETA. He waited for me in the private car parking space at BIAL, by paying the parking fee of Rs 60/-, picked me up and brought me back home. This netted him a total earning from my bills, of Rs 1500/- + reimbursement of his parking fee of course as well as a couple of 100 bucks as a tip for first class service.

He told me the following:
1. He has to pay Rs 900 per day to Meru for the use of the cab.
2. MERU Bangalore has 1200 cabs.
3. They pay Rs 5 Cr. per annum as a License Fee / Operating charge to BIAL Airport and invest in the vehicles as well as maintain them.
4. BIAL gives MERU free parking for 500 Meru Cabs at the airport at any time + the free access to pick up and drop bays.
5. On a good day, the Meru driver can make around 4-6 trips at the maximum (in and around the city + airport to& fro trips.)
6. He says the best days for cab business to and from the airport at least are Mondays, Fridays and Sundays.
7. He said the drivers typically make about 2500-3500 per day. (Some days can be as low as just 500 and some days (during weddings etc) can be as high as Rs 5000-6000 even.
8. Driver pays for all the Diesel used by him.
9. In effect taking an average of Rs 3000 per day earnings, he pays Rs 900 to the company which leaves him with Rs 2100/-. On this he spends around Rs 1600 on Diesel leaving him with Rs about 600/- as his take + tips etc.
10. In short he makes about Rs 12000-15000/- per month whereas if he were to take employment as a private chauffeur, he would earn max about 8000-9000 per month. But this extra earning comes with a high risk, hard work, long hours and hardly any breaks.
11. MERU has no objection if he makes private arrangements with any patrons. And they dont hassle him about the tips he receives either though as he said to me, many patrons are "less than generous" in the matter of tipping.

I personally think it is a phenomenal service and provided one is happy with the service, I think it the decent thing to do, to slip the driver at least 60-100 bucks as a tip - especially for Airport Drop/Pickup services.

This just makes one realize really how fortunate one is and therefore I dont think one should grudge these service people a reasonably generous tip.

Cheers

Originally Posted by GTO

I, for one, am VERY happy with Meru Cab services. Services like these lead to a mass overhaul of quality in any given segment. After years of shoddy cab services, we finally have a worthy player.

[andromeda]

Interesting article throwing light on the current state of affairs at Meru.

Forbes India Magazine - Meru's Flawed Business Model Negates its Brand Value

[scopriobharath]

One information that might be useful to us as a customer of Meru Cabs.

Meru (Mumbai) offers an option to ferry you by Meru Plus if Meru is not available. As soon as the call center rejects a Meru oppurtunity (for whatever reason), within 5 minutes, a Meru Plus representative calls and asks for booking through Meru Plus.

Meru is 17/- per km, whereas Meru Plus is 21 per km. The difference is just Rs 4 per km. People who need to reach at any cost and cannot afford to be late, would benefit by this.

I booked a Meru to go to Worli from Malad last weekend, but was denied a cab. Within 5 mins Meru Plus called me and asked if i wanted a MeruPlus.

[sharninder]

What's the chance that they actually deny a Meru so that the customer uses a Meru plus instead?

[Mindgrinder]

In Delhi Meru cabs were on strike for over a week, as Delhi airport is not very far from already populated vicinities like Vasant Kunj, Mahipalpur etc. the driver only earns if drops of far places like Noida, Deep in Gurgaon. I do not know what is the status now, but most meru cabs drivers in Delhi are protesting against Rs 1200/- day payment to Meru although all Easycabs around 800 were running full, to my shock nobody was opting for Delhi Traffic Police cabs from the Airport (day before yesterday), how come govt cab does not get a counter inside the airport like the old Delhi Airport?! Also, why is not govt. cab in first row, this also proves govt. support these private operators, I found Meru model to be hefty on driver it's like sucking there blood there is no regulation.

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by sharninder

What's the chance that they actually deny a Meru so that the customer uses a Meru plus instead?

Yup - I would not rule out that probablity. This is India and anything is possible.

At the very least, they provide an expensive alternate (at least) compared to other players like tab CAB, Easycab etc. People who are dependent (airports, bus stations, railway stations) can at least reach on time.

It would really question ethics, to send Meru Plus instead of Merus. Ideally they must send a Meru Plus at the same tariff of a Meru.

[Mik]

What an informative read!
I have taken flights at odd hours many times and easycabs have been life savers many times. Once, a confirmed booking of QuickCabs didnt show up and easycabs managed to send one within 15 minutes.
A few things i have learned along the way.
1. Easy Cabs gives priority to airport calls. If a airport bound cab breaks down, it assumes top priority and a previously booked cab in the vicinity can also be pressed into service.
2. The easy cabs online interface is very reliable. This saves on the Rs 30 convenience charge for calling up.
3. They have some sort of arrangement to not take up assignments if they want to. Not sure how that works.

Oh! and do let me know if there is "ANY" reliable cab company in kolkata. I have been stonewalled by all operators since my travel from parents home to airport is only 6km.

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Mik

What an informative read!
I have taken flights at odd hours many times and easycabs have been life savers many times. Once, a confirmed booking of QuickCabs didnt show up and easycabs managed to send one within 15 minutes.
A few things i have learned along the way.
1. Easy Cabs gives priority to airport calls. If a airport bound cab breaks down, it assumes top priority and a previously booked cab in the vicinity can also be pressed into service.
2. The easy cabs online interface is very reliable. This saves on the Rs 30 convenience charge for calling up.
3. They have some sort of arrangement to not take up assignments if they want to. Not sure how that works.

Oh! and do let me know if there is "ANY" reliable cab company in kolkata. I have been stonewalled by all operators since my travel from parents home to airport is only 6km.

Welcome to the club my friend. I too face the same issue in Mumbai. I am travelling to airport this weekend and my office is just 4 kms away. I have luggage and cannot afford to have a refusal. For this, I am leaving my office early, reaching my house which is 10 kms away and then hiring a cab from there to airport, so that I dont miss my flight. No one including autorickshaws honour short distances now-a-days.

[mgh]

When we have guests, I have tried to get them for trips within the city. Most unreliable, most times at the last moment their call centre says, "Sorry, no cabs in your area."
Thanks for clearing up why.
Spot Taxi were much better; only once I think someone I know was let down;with me it was 100% 'spot on' service.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Mindgrinder

to my shock nobody was opting for Delhi Traffic Police cabs from the Airport (day before yesterday), how come govt cab does not get a counter inside the airport like the old Delhi Airport?! Also, why is not govt. cab in first row, this also proves govt. support these private operators, I found Meru model to be hefty on driver it's like sucking there blood there is no regulation.

Can you please elaborate on that more. What exactly are you trying to say? AFAIK the delhi traffic police pre paid booth is located both inside and outside the temrinal. I always use there service and its generally a pleasant experience although some of the cabs are really in a battered state. Another problem is at times there is a shortage of cabs and you might have to wait for 5 minutes before a cab arrives.

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

you might have to wait for 5 minutes before a cab arrives.

DrMohitG, 5 minutes is peanuts. Sometimes Air travellers have to wait at the airport for 2-3 hours for a meru or easycab as they dont have sufficient cabs.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

DrMohitG, 5 minutes is peanuts. Sometimes Air travellers have to wait at the airport for 2-3 hours for a meru or easycab as they dont have sufficient cabs.

Well thats why I was surprised at the post above. I always use the pre paid cabs provided by delhi traffic police while travelling to and from the airport. And till date have never faced any issue with them. Don't use Meru much because to me it looks a little expensive.

[Wind]

Originally Posted by mgh

When we have guests, I have tried to get them for trips within the city. Most unreliable, most times at the last moment their call centre says, "Sorry, no cabs in your area."
Thanks for clearing up why.
Spot Taxi were much better; only once I think someone I know was let down;with me it was 100% 'spot on' service.

I agree, SPOT taxis were much better but I hardly see them on road now a days. Now a days, I am using a new service called Taxiforsure. Have availed their services about five or six times and the experience have been satisfactory.
-- Wind