BENGALURU: An autorickshaw union in the city has decided to take on aggregators like Ola and Uber and is set to launch its own app, called Namma Yatri Auto, on November 1 to coincide with Kannada Rajyotsava day. The apps Namma Yatri Partner for drivers and Namma Yatri for passengers were developed using the Beckn protocol free software in partnership with the Autorickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU).
The new app will charge a minimum fare of Rs 30 and a pickup charge of Rs 10 for 2 km and Rs 15 per km thereafter. There will be a choice of three or four drivers for individual passengers to avoid double fares.
“We complained about the Ola, Uber, and Rapido aggregators’ price hikes to the Transport Department as they charged more than the government-fixed rates. Following the meeting, we decided to launch our own app with the government’s fixed rates. We have given the option to auto drivers to charge up to Rs 20 more, or they can stick to the normal price, “said Rudramurthy, president of the Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU).
“Passengers have the option to choose the driver. Both drivers and passengers will benefit from this. There will be no mediators in our app. We have already started promotion and the money transferred by the passengers will directly benefit the drivers. The maintenance of the app fees will be taken from the drivers, but that part is not yet decided. Testing has been going on for the last few months. We are planning to launch it on Kannada Rajyotsava”, he added.