Isn’t is easier and cheaper to book a cab these days than buying your own car and paying for petrol? And why just cabs, companies like Ola even provide services like Ola auto, so, you don’t have to ask each auto driver and bargain for price. Just book it from Ola and ride.
All you have to do is to open the application on your phone and book a cab. The cab arrives at the very point, you are standing, within minutes.
Uber
My personal favorite, and I bet yours too, is Uber, among all the taxi services available in India these days. Though Uber is not India based company and has completed only 3 years here, but it has emerged as one of the best, cheapest, classiest, and cleanest cab service.
Uber App is literally the coolest and works without any bug. You can request a cab easily, see the waiting time, watch the movement of your cab driver, check the estimated price. The cars are clean and nice, drivers are well trained and soft spoken. Uber is now providing two-wheelers on demand as well. Another fun factor about Uber is that drivers also rate you, whenever you take a ride. You can check your average rating from Uber app.
Prices of Uber are comparatively less than other cab services, including Ola. For the safety of its customers, Uber has launched a feature through which you can send your ride status to your friends and family. So, they know when to expect you and see the cab location as well. You can split the fare as well with any contact of yours, who uses Uber.
Not just this, there are many Uber coupons, which prove to be very pocket friendly. Just apply the codes while booking your ride and travel without any worries. Like for new users, Uber offer first 3 rides for free. For comparison sake, let me just give you the standard fare rates of Uber (Delhi):
- Base fare for UberGo: INR 40
- Cost per min: INR 1
- Cost per km: INR 6
- Service fee: 0
- Cancellation fee: INR 60
Ola
Next best name you have these days, in the list of Cab services, is of Ola. 6 years ago, Ola was initially started off as Olatrip.com, a website that offered package weekend trips. Ola is the first mobile app for transportation that was launched in India, which took birth in a 10x 12 feet room, in Mumbai. Let me show you how Ola’s very first logo looked like.
You can book Ola autos for short distance journeys and recently Ola have started another feature, Ola outstation, through which you can book a cab for outstation locations as well. You can pay though Ola money, cash, cards, and net banking. Mobile application of Ola is easy to use and easy to understand. You can get estimated fare of the ride and easily set your pickup and drop locations. Moreover, Ola is helping a lot during the cash crisis, prevalent these days. You can compare the Standard Ola fares here:
- Base Fare of Ola Micro: INR 40
- Distance fare: INR 6/km till 20 kms, INR 12/km after 20 kms
- Cancellation Fee: INR 50
- Wait Time fare: INR 2
- Ride time fare: INR 1 per minute
P.S. Ola charges convenience fee of 10 rupees over the total bill, for Ola auto.
Meru
If not Uber and Ola, then what? Third choice you have is of Meru cabs. But, Meru is not as cheap as Uber and Ola.
Meru radio cabs are available round the clock and you can book your cab in advance. But remember, it can be costly! Meru even provides you a printed receipt for every fare, providing details of distance traveled and total amount payable. Meru Select, promises you to pay INR 500, if they have accepted a booking from you and miss it because of any reason. In January 2016, Meru cabs also started ride sharing options in New Delhi. Meru cab fare differs for night and day shifts:
- For first 3 kms: INR 69 (5 am- 11 pm)
INR 86.25 (11 pm- 5 am)
- Rate after 3 kms: INR 23/km (5 am- 11 pm)
INR 28.75/km (11 pm- 5 am)
- Waiting charges: INR 30/hour after 15 minutes (5 am- 11 pm)
INR 37.50/km after 15 minutes (11 pm- 5 am)
P.S. Meru charges airport convenience fee of 90 rupees for Domestic Terminal (T1) & 110 rupees for International terminal (T3).
