After Ola ad Uber swarming the Guwahati city and changing the public transport system forever, now the bike taxi Rapido has further altered the Guwahati traffic making it increasingly popular with over 9,000 rides per day.
The concept of bike taxis is similar to that of cab aggregators like Ola, providing rides on a range of cars and auto rickshaws in the city.
However, bike taxis have the advantage of providing quick commute for individuals who could shell out a little more than what they do for city bus or shared auto rickshaw services.
Rapido engages captains, bike owners and riders, and trains them. People can use Rapido mobile application or website to book a ride. The fare is Rs 3 per kilometer with a base fare of ₹15. Also, every user riding with the firm is insured for a cover of Rs 50,000.
The Rapido was launched in December last year and since then it has grown rapidly specially student and office goes as it is 605 cheaper than Ola and Uber. " I have come from Rup Nagar to Chandmari by paying Rs 30 " said Sunita Singh, a college teachers.
"I am sure the number will go up to 3,000 to 5,000 rides in the next two months," said Pavan G, co-founder and director, Rapido to media.
"We have launched the service in Guwahati with about 200 captains (Rapido bike riders are called captains) but I think we need to increase the number considering the demand in the market," Pavan said, adding that Rapido is also planning to launch female captains to make the ride more safe for women and girls in town.
The rates for Rapido bike service is around Rs 15 to start the ride with, Rs. 3 for each kilometer and Rs. 1 for each one minute ride, making it cheaper than Autorickshaw.
Rapido has made it mandatory for their rider to wear a helmet along with the captain. To ensure personal hygiene, the rider is given a disposable head cap which the rider can use before wearing the helmet.
Through the mobile app-based service, commuters can book a Rapido bike service instead of driving a car or using the public transport to navigate through traffic snarls quickly and reach their destination on time.