Startups that Ensure Employees Reach Work On Time – And Cheaply! I was standing in a crowded bus on my way to work this morning and thought surely there must be a better way to transport (without burning a hole in a pocket). Here's what I found:
By Rustam Singh
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Transport aggregators are rapidly taking over the concept of owning automobiles altogether. The next buzz in transportation, something which was unimaginable just ten years ago, is the boom of transport apps and startups. Uber has become a household name and isn't uncommon to be heard from users of all demographics, it financially and convenience wise makes much more sense than to take your own car out for a spin. Not only are you saving the costs of parking, avoiding the stress if driving through traffic, dodging the nuisance of exactly locating your location but are also avoiding the initial automobile's purchase price, fuel charges, maintenance costs and risk of ever being penalized by law. But the advantages don't stop there – because aggregators have come up with more solutions than traditional Taxi services.
So if your business is a progressive one that sees employee comfort to be a major concern, or are simply conscious about how toxic our breathable air is slowly becoming, here are a few options to consider. Also note that these may be cheaper and luxurious than having them drive individually or use public transport or have a company vehicle pick everyone up individually.
Car Pool
Services such as UberPool or Ola Share pioneered the concept of sharing cabs. If the user allows the option to pool, the ride sharing app picks another rider along the same route with a total delay of barely a few minutes. The driver earns 30-40% more and both riders will save significantly too. This, while saving the environment by car pooling!
Motorcycle Taxi
Why waste your time stuck in traffic for work when you can literally wriggle your way through the jams on a bike taxi? Fares drastically cheaper than cars, quicker and zippier bike taxis are becoming more popular in India as a viable option if the pollution and formal clothing is not an issue. Now Bikes and M-Taxi are two popular options.
Auto Startups
Why not cut down on fares but still get the privacy of sitting comfortably by using an auto transport? Startups like Jugnoo Autos, Autowale, AutoRaja and mGaadi are revolutionizing the transport by providing same GPS tracking, dramatically cheaper fares and convenience of location/call based ordering of autos. It beats risking wasting valuable morning time in negotiating fares and location to auto drivers straight from the streets.
Rent a driver free car
Why risk your own car facing maintenance charges when you can rent one without a driver at ease? Surprisingly low prices on car rentals by these startups which you can pay by the hour or day make these valuable options for not just weekends or if you have friends over and need to check out multiple points of interested in the same city. Brilliant insurance covers also ensure that you can drive tension free incase an inevitable happens, and can flaunt a luxury sports car for a special date or be the own car pool driver for you and your colleagues. ZoomCars are a popular choice.
One way ride sharing
Several startups offer the ability for riders to coordinate with each other who are using their own car to reach from point A to point B, where you can share the ride fare. If you luckily find a match that suits your route, it's great because all the money is being circulated only among users – not the company. BlahBlah Cars is a good option for short duration travels, and check out Ryde by Ibibo for cross state one way ride sharing.
Bus seat bookings
Several aggregators reserve the option to have a seat booked in a shuttle/local bus. You can not only get assured seats, option to choose a seat of your liking, but also get luxury small/short route buses. This is literally the cheapest form of public transport and promotes a greener solution to travel as well. Try rBus, Shuttl, Zipgo and Cityflo.
What are your pocket friendly way to reach to work? Let us know in know in the comments on our official Facebook page Entrepreneur India
