Ola ties with railways to offer last mile connectivity service.
Home grown ride-hailing giant Ola has struck a partnership with Indian railways to offer last mile connectivity services to outgoing railway passengers. Ola will be offering these services in five stations in the Delhi region, namely New Delhi, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar, Sarai Rohilla and Nizamuddin.
Ola kiosk will be stationed within the premises of these respective stations and thereby easily enabling outgoing passengers to book a cab. Besides, Ola zones have also been setup in these five stations. These zones will operate as dedicated pickup and drop points for passengers and should help in reducing the traffic woes near these stations.
“With this partnership, the passengers will get access to Ola’s hatchbacks and sedans that come with drivers who are rated for their service by past customers,” a statement issued by Northern Railway said.
Ola on Partnership Spree to Grow Business
Ola, off late, has been on a fast pedal to strike partnership with Indian railways and also airports. Earlier this year, the national carrier had struck a partnership with Ajmer Junction Railway Division, South Western Railway and Kempegowda International Airport. Besides, the company also tied up with Rapid Metro Gurgaon, Bangalore Metro Rail Corp.
All these partnerships have been supposedly made to keep competitive pressure on its main rival Uber. Over the years both companies have been breathing down in each other’s neck to in a bid to conquer the pole position in cab hailing market.
Meanwhile, Uber’s newly appointed CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was in India last week and during his visit he clearly underscored the importance of Indian market for Uber. He also categorically ruled any merger talks between Ola and Uber. The rumors of merger talks gained currency after Uber was forced to make an unceremonious exit from China in 2016, after it sold its business to Chinese rival Didi Chuxing