Dial a Rickshaw

Most of us face errant auto drivers nearly every day and have almost given up the hope of expecting the situation to get any better. However, there seems a ray of hope with the Dial a Rickshaw project, which officially started in Pune on 26th June’2011.

Brainchild of two IITians, Mukesh Jha and Janardhan Prasad, the project was started considering commuters’ convenience, safety and to resolve current issues related to autowalas. Their mission is to make commute system reliable and flexible.

Pune seems to be worst when it comes to public transportation and Dial a Rickshaw may just improve the situation.  With this project, commuters will no longer have to waste time in persuading auto drivers to ferry them. Also the problem of tampered meters and extra charges should come to an end. The project will prove equally good for auto drivers, who can be assured of their customers, well in advance and plan their commute accordingly. Also they don’t have to waste fuel looking around for customers.

How it works?

To avail this service, you simply need to dial 9922904000 and place a request for an auto at least one hour in advance. A request is then generated and the same is conveyed to the auto drivers in that particular area. Once the auto-driver confirms his availability, the details of the driver along with the vehicle number are sent via SMS to the customer.  All the rickshaws are tracked with the help of GPRS, to assure your safety. Commuters are also given the estimation of the distance and travel time based on the online maps with a little variations considering traffic and weather conditions.

Post the service, an executive will ask you for feedback and also confirm the amount charged to you by the auto-driver. This helps them keep a check on mal-practices and safety of commuters. The call centre functions from 9 am – 9 pm and you can always book an early morning or late night trip well in advance.

It is certainly a win win situation for both auto drivers and commuters, provided the project sticks to its mission and makes Rickshaw a reliable source of transport in the city. So, Punekars next time you need a rickshaw, you know where to find them. And yes, do share your experience with us, so we can share it with the city.

Also see:

• August 17, 2011 -- Bridging the gap between commuters and rickshawallas:Mukesh Jha and Janardhan Prasad (0)
• March 6, 2013 -- Being a Kothrudite (12)
• March 5, 2013 -- Gaming Desktops (0)
• March 4, 2013 -- If God was a Banker (0)
• March 1, 2013 -- Events in Pune (0)