India's most popular ride-hailing service Ola has released a lite version of its mobile app dubbed Ola Lite. Much like other lite apps, Ola Lite has also been optimized to work on low-end smartphones and to work on networks with slower speeds (2G/3G).
According to Ola the lightweight app will consume less than 1MB storage space on your phone and take three seconds to load, as well as consume less data. It will also work on the lowest of Internet connectivity and will cater to the needs of millions of Indians residing in tier 2 and tier 3 towns.
Similar to Google Maps Go, Ola uses Progressive Web App (PWA) technology, and even allows users to sign up using their contact number instead of email. It includes all the main feature that you would find on the main Ola app. You can book rides across various categories including Auto, Share, Micro, Mini, Prime Sedan, Prime SUV, Outstation, Rentals and more, as well as track your ride in real time.
Highlight of Ola Lite
- Ola Lite uses less than 1MB on your phone
- Book taxi online in a easy and fast way!
- Now cab booking would take up less data as Ola Lite works fast in 2G and 3G networks
- Lite on your phone, lite on your pocket - get auto, shared cabs or sedans based on your budget
- Car rentals are also available when you need cab and driver to stay with you for multiple stops or just for convenience
- Booking cars for your intercity, outstation travel is super fast.
The Ola Lite app is currently available for download on Google Play Store (Link).
Apart from Ola, Facebook & FB Messenger, Twitter, LinkedIn, Skype, Kindle, Just Dial and many more offer lite version of their apps, and the list is likely to increase in the near future.
Source | Via
Ola is gearing up to set foot into the online food ordering and delivery segment in India to rival UberEats, and other players like Zomato and Swiggy.
The popular Indian ride hailing service has acquired popular online food delivery service Foodpanda India from its German parent Delivery Hero AG on an all-stock deal.
Under the deal, Foodpanda's India unit will be transferred to Ola in exchange for the latter's stock. However, the details of the transaction were not disclosed. Also Ola will invest $200 million into Foodpanda's Indian operation, making it the largest injection of cash into the country's online food ordering and delivery industry till date.
This is not the first time Ola is trying its hand at food delivery service. Back in 2014, Ola tested Ola Cafe, but had to shut it down shortly after.
But with the Foodpand acquisition, Ola will once again look to re-enter the food delivery business. Foodpanda is present in more than 100 Indian cities, and claims to have 12,000 restaurant partners. For comparison, UberEats is operational in less than 20 cities.
According to Ola "Foodpanda India will benefit from Ola’s scale and efficiencies as a platform, also having leveraged learnings from Delivery Hero’s global best practices. Ola and Delivery Hero will continue to collaborate on building the online food delivery ecosystem in India."
Source | Via
Popular ride hailing app Ola announced the launch of its Progressive Web app (PWA), a lightweight data-friendly mobile website, aimed at users in small towns and cities for an app-like experience on low-end smartphones. It was launched together with Google at Google's I/O 2017 event in San Francisco.
Ola PWA is similar to the native app in terms and looks and feel, but uses very less data. It can operate on 2G speeds, and users can make offline bookings via the website as well. It is said to load in just 3.4 seconds on 2G networks, and OLA claims that its PWA consumes 50kb data on first payload and 10kb on subsequent loads.
"Using just 200KB of data to install, the PWA is at least 300X smaller than downloading the Android app and 500X smaller than downloading their iOS app. Repeat visits use as little as 10KB. This low data consumption translates into a 3.4-second first visit and less than a second for repeat visits on 2G and 3G networks-an ideal solution for millions of Indians," notes the Google blog .
Using OLA PWA, users can book an Ola Cab across all categories and pay for the ride through Ola Money. It also offers other features like OTP verification for rides, use of maps for pickup and drop location, ride later options and use of share pass.
For the uninitiated, PWA helps app developers to create a light-weight version of their app for users who don't have enough storage to install and app or Internet bandwidth to run them. Facebook, Twitter and Flipkart also have PWA version of their app.
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Google is making it easier to book a cab on Ola or Uber by integrating the cab services in the app. Made available on Google Map earlier this year, the feature will now be accessible straight in the search app and mobile browser as well.
Users looking to book a cab online will be presented with fair estimates, pick up times and availability of cab nearby from both Ola and Uber in a dedicated tab for ride services. When you request for a specific information such as "Taxi to the airport" or "Uber/Ola to Bangalore airport" the app/browser will direct users to select a service and then automatically opens the desired app to book the ride, with just a single tap.
In case you don't have the Ola/Uber app installed on your device, Google search will show a link to install the same. Note that the feature is only available for mobile devices, and not on PCs.
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Popular app based taxi service Ola is rolling out a new offline feature called 'Ola Offline' to its mobile app, wherein, users can book an Ola ride without internet on their smartphones.
The offline feature will be automatically added to the app, when you're offline. You'll then be prompted to sen your current location via SMS, and once the booking is confirmed you'll receive driver details over SMS. You can then contact the driver via phone call for sharing further details. The messages are charged at Rs. 3/SMS.
Ola says that it has been piloting the offline feature since June in small towns and cities. This
feature will be very useful when you run out of mobile data, or when
you're in a location where 3G/4G network coverage is dull.
How ‘Ola Offline’ works:
- When you're attempting to a book a cab on Ola app, where there is no access to internet, users will now get two options: Retry or Book via SMS
- Customers can choose to Retry if they’ve come to a place with better Internet connectivity, or go with the second option SMS
- On selecting SMS, users will get redirected to their default messaging app where they will see a pre-entered text message requesting Ola to book a cab
- On sending the text message, users will get an SMS with the particulars of the nearest available cabs across categories
- Once they select their preferred cab category, they will receive driver and cab details instantly by SMS
- The driver on the other hand will also receive customer contact details and the GPS location of the user
Once you're in the area where there is internet connectivity, the ride details, GPS tracking, SOS button, and other features associated with the ride will be available for the user on the Ola app.
Source | Via
Taxi hailing app Ola, in a bid to lure customers away from its competitor Uber has announced Auto-Connect WiFi, a WiFi serivce that enables customers to automatically connect to a WiFi network when they get into a cab.
You'll be able to connect to WiFi network in an Ola cab after a one-time authentication, instead of entering credentials every time. When you book a Prime ride, you'll receive an sms from OLA with a unique one-time WiFi login credentials. After providing the necessary details you'll be able to connect to WiFi in all your future Prime rides.
Currently, the Auto-Connect WiFi is available on Ola Prime cars for free and will soon be available across all categories including Micro, Mini and auto-rickshaws. It is not known whether Ola will charge for the service on budget categories. It will roll out in 102 cities, and for starters, Ola will offer the service with 3G and 4G speeds in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
For comparison, Ola's main competitor in India, Uber has been slow to offer WiFi despite launching the service last year. Uber's WiFi service is restricted mostly to Mumbai and is offered to premium segment UberBLACK.
Ola sees the Auto-Connect WiFi service as a public Internet project, similar to Google's free WiFi at India's train stations.
Less than a week of piloting its bike taxis in Bengaluru, Ola is withdrawing the service. The company has taken down the bike icon on the Ola app.
Uber and Ola announced the launch of bike taxi services last week to take on the traffic-prone areas of Bengaluru and just a day after the launch were declared illegal by the Karnataka State Transport Department. The authorities also cautioned the people not to use the service. The Regional Transport authority also seized several bike taxis belonging to Uber and Ola, as they were being operated without a permit.
Uber's Bike taxi services are still active and the uberMoto icon is still present in the app for booking bike taxis, but the crackdown continues as Karnataka Government on Friday seized 62 bike taxis belonging to Uber for violating the Motor Vehicles Act and to operate without permission.
The bike taxis run by Uber and Ola are white number plated two-wheelers and they do not comply with the rules. Also the drivers don't have a badge, which is a must for commercial vehicle driver. Commercial vehicle must first make an application to the RTA (Road Transport Authority) in their respective district to start business operations, followed by which a committee including the deputy commissioner of a particular district as the chairman, RTO as the secretary and SP or DCP as the member will consider the application and deal with it according to the requirement. If a company fails to follow these rules, then it will be an illegal operation.
Via : IANS | Gadgets360
Leading app-based cab aggregator rivals Ola and Uber just recently started testing motorbike ride hailing services in Bengaluru, and now it has been declared illegal by the Karnataka State Transport Department.
The department has cautioned people not to use the services and says that users will not be eligible for insurance, if the vehicles are involved in any accident. The state department also said that Ola and Uber have not obtained permit or license to operate the motorbike ride services in Bengaluru, and have to obtain RTA (regional transport authority) permission to in case to operate.
The bike taxi services are currently being run as non-transport
vehicles, and in-order to operate in Karnataka, they should be converted
into transport vehicles. The bikes offered by Ola and Uber have no
badges and yellow boards, which is a must requirement for transport
vehicles.
Additionally, Regional Transport Authority has seized several bike taxis of Ola and Uber, because they were operation without a permit.
To recall, Ola's pilot Bike Taxis service is offering customers
ride for as low as Rs 2 per km. The minimum fare is Rs 30 with Rs 2 charged per
km and Re 1 per minute of trip time. Uber's'uberMOTO base price is Rs. 15, followed by Rs 3 per km and Rs 1 per min of ride-time charges.
Via
Ride hailing services Uber and Ola announced the launch of their respective bike taxi services pilot in Bengaluru. Uber's bike taxi service is called UberMoto while, Ola's is known as Ola Bike. The offering will be ideal for short rides.
UberMoto has a base fare of Rs. 15 and will charge Rs. 3 per km, and Rs. 1 for every minute, while Ola has a base far of Rs. 30 and will charge, Rs. 2 for every km and Rs. 1 per minute.
Uber said that it will offer GPS tracking, 2-way feedback, and
ability to share trip details with family and friends. The company is
also taking registration from people who own moto bikes and scooter, to
become drivers on the platform and recoup the costs of their trip. If
interested you can register here - https://get.uber.com/cl/bangalorebike/. Additionally, all pillion riders will be
provided with helmets.
Ola says that the bike taxis will offer the same features as its cab
services, including driver details display upfront, SOS, live tracking
and payment with Ola Money. Just like Uber, Ola will also provide helmets for all pillion riders.
Currently UberMoto is available in select location in Bengaluru
between 7am and 9pm. Uber says that it will continue to extend
uberMOTO's coverage over time. Ola Bike is also currently available only in the city of Bangalore and will roll out in other cities in coming months.
Uber recently launched the UberMOTO in Thailand's capital Bangkok, where it competes with GrabTaxi, which already lets users to book motorcycle taxis in some South East Asian countries.
Via
Ola has launched a new service called Ola Micro. It is a low-cost service, priced at Rs. 6/km, and aimed at taking on UberGo - priced at Rs.7/km.
The Ola Micro will be available in seven cities in India, which includes Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. The time charges and per kilometre rates are consistent across these cities at Rs. 1 per minute and Rs. 6 per kilometer. The minimum fare is Rs. 60 in Delhi, and Mumbai, Rs. 50 in Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, and Hyderabad.
By comparison, UberGo has a base fare of Rs. 40, minimum fare of Rs. 50, a per km charge of Rs. 7, and per minute charge of Rs. 1. UberGo has a lower base fare than Ola Micro, which means for a usual two to four kilometre drive UberGo would be slightly less expensive than Ola Micro, while for more than four kilometer Ola Micro would be cheaper.
Ola has also revealed the card models under Ola Micro will include Hyundai Eon, Wagon R and Datsun Go.
Ola also says that it has over 70 percent market share in the country with presence in over 100 cities. Ola Chief Finance officer Rajiv Bansal said that the company is focusing on growing its business rather than making profits.
Leading app based taxi service rivals, Uber and Ola have launched their social ride sharing service in Delhi-NCR. Ola's and Uber's ride sharing services are expected to reduce the surge pricing which has been plaguing the online cab services in Delhi for some time now.
Uber's ride sharing service is called UberPool, while Ola's is called Ola Share.With the ride sharing service, users in Delhi can now, share their ride
and split the cost with another person who is requesting a ride along a similar
route.
Using the uberPOOL services, riders can save about 10-30%
of their ride charges (as compared with uberGO). The service will be available between 7am to 9am, seven days a week, but it can be requested only from select places in Delhi. Each request can have a maximum of 2 riders per pick up. You will
be matched with another requester, for up to 4 riders in total.
How to use uberPOOL?
- Slide over to the uberGO option on your app
- Set your pickup location and drop-off locations and request
- You’ll see 2 options – “Share your car” and “Get your own car”
- “Share your car” is uberPOOL with a guaranteed fare upfront, so you know exactly what you’re going to pay
- Request! You might get matched with another rider going the same way
- Regardless of whether you’re matched or not, the fare will always be less than uberGO
- Currently uberPOOL is available only between 7AM – 9PM, 7 days a
week. You can choose to use Cash, PayTM, Airtel Money, Credit or even
Debit card.
The Ola Share will be available to all users in Delhi over the coming weeks in a phased manner. It will be available in the Ola app as a separate category. With Ola share, customers stand to benefit from a flat 50 percent discount on Ola share fares. Ola Share offers users with an option to choose their fellow passenger, who plan
to travel on the same route, with the help of the 'Social
Groups' feature on its app, through which friends or colleagues from workplace can come together to share rides. A user can join multiple groups or simply choose to share a ride with anyone. A maximum of three people can share a
cab together via Ola Share.
Note that, Ola Share and uberPool went live on the same day in Bengaluru as well in October. India based Ola and U.S based Uber have been competing with each other for sometime now to take the top spot. Ola recently joined forces with China's Didi Kuaidi, US based Lyft and Singapore's GrabTaxi to create a global ridesharing partnership to take on Uber, and together they will offer seamless coverage for travelers in India, China, Southeast Asia and the US. It looks like the cab hailing market is getting heated up.
Ola announced the launch of its ride sharing service dubbed Ola Share. The service is currently available in beta for select users in Bengaluru at an introductory fare of Rs. 50. Ola Share uses advanced algorithms to match users who plan to travel on the same route in real-time
Ola Share offers you an option to choose your fellow passenger, who plan
to travel on the same route, with the help of the 'Social
Groups' feature. When a user selects a drop location, Ola will match users from common groups who are also looking for a can on the same route after which the driver gets an alert with navigation to their pickup location on his device. A maximum of three people can share a cab together via the service.
You can also create your own social groups inside the app by providing email contacts or friends, family and colleagues. A user can join multiple groups or choose a to share a ride with anyone. The service will be rolled out across five cities over the next three months.
The 'Share' service is Ola's answer to Uber's uberPOOL that went live in Bengaluru earlier today. The service also lets users share the ride and cost with another person who is traveling to the same route.
The uberPOOL service is available only between 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week. You can pay using PayTM, Airtel Money, Credit or Debit Card. Cash payment option will come soon. Each request can have a maximum of 2 riders per pick up. You will
be matched with another requester, for up to 4 riders in total.
