Eight months ago, when Mintu Kumar agreed to sign in for one of the autorickshaw apps in the city, he planned to stick to it only for a few days. "Many of the passengers would ask if I work with the app company, so I thought it would perhaps help me get more customers," says Kumar, an autorickshaw driver who has since moved to the app platform completely.
Much like Kumar, Beeru, 35, started off experimenting with the autorickshaw app on a recommendation from another driver. Today, he dreams of moving on to the cab version of the app with the help of the company. "Being a taxi driver is more respectable than being an autorickshaw driver. I hope to invest in a car once I save enough money," Beeru, a Burari resident, says.
As autorickshaw apps debut in the city, more drivers are moving to a brand new world. Technology has managed to do what the transport department hasn't in years get autorickshaw drivers go by the meters willingly. The reason, says Anand Subramanian of Ola Cabs, which runs one such service, is that the technology "guarantees" the next ride for the autorickshaw driver. "For those on our platform, it pays to go by the meter. With our app, they are sure to get the next ride, so there's no need to overcharge," says the Ola official.
It's a point that Kumar agrees with. "How much you earn in a day depends on how hard you want to work. I went by meter earlier too, but customers would haggle or be suspicious about my meter. Now, with the app, it's a smooth ride for me," adds Kumar.
Drivers connected with apps like Ola and Pooch-O, a government app, say that the bonus of working with the app-based services is the "extra" they earn. "The company pays bonus depending on the number of bookings you do. For instance, if you complete five bookings in a day, you are paid Rs 75 per booking. However, you have to do at least three bookings in a day to get that money," says Akhtar Ali, another app-driver.
Much like Kumar, Beeru, 35, started off experimenting with the autorickshaw app on a recommendation from another driver. Today, he dreams of moving on to the cab version of the app with the help of the company. "Being a taxi driver is more respectable than being an autorickshaw driver. I hope to invest in a car once I save enough money," Beeru, a Burari resident, says.
As autorickshaw apps debut in the city, more drivers are moving to a brand new world. Technology has managed to do what the transport department hasn't in years get autorickshaw drivers go by the meters willingly. The reason, says Anand Subramanian of Ola Cabs, which runs one such service, is that the technology "guarantees" the next ride for the autorickshaw driver. "For those on our platform, it pays to go by the meter. With our app, they are sure to get the next ride, so there's no need to overcharge," says the Ola official.
It's a point that Kumar agrees with. "How much you earn in a day depends on how hard you want to work. I went by meter earlier too, but customers would haggle or be suspicious about my meter. Now, with the app, it's a smooth ride for me," adds Kumar.
Drivers connected with apps like Ola and Pooch-O, a government app, say that the bonus of working with the app-based services is the "extra" they earn. "The company pays bonus depending on the number of bookings you do. For instance, if you complete five bookings in a day, you are paid Rs 75 per booking. However, you have to do at least three bookings in a day to get that money," says Akhtar Ali, another app-driver.
