One of the major complaints of people who visit two of the most crowded cities of Kerala—Kochi and Trivandrum—was the non-availability of taxies. Not only was there any organized taxi structure, but the taxis run were also unscrupulously expensive, especially towards the end of the day and weekends. However, it all changed thanks to the global online-taxi platforms such as Uber and Ola. Today anyone with a smartphone and an application of the respective platform can get a taxi with relative ease and at prices that are economical and affordable. They are sometimes even cheaper than the local auto-rickshaws available here.

Now let us see how Uber and Ola are changing the taxi culture here.

They are Extremely Convenient

One of the most important aspects that lured people to these operators is the convenience they offer to the customers. You just need to open the application, set your pick-up spot and set your location. They are available everywhere and in minutes they get to your pick-up spot. This sort of convenience is never available with the local taxies or auto-rickshaws.

Affordable and Cheap

If you think auto-rickshaws are cheap here, a couple of experiences with Ola and Uber would have your opinion changed. Many people within the city find it extremely easy to commute within the city in any of these taxis as they are cheap and affordable. And the best part is that they don’t charge as they find fit and it is really comforting.

Comfortable Travel

Unlike various other taxies and auto-rickshaws where the comfort of the traveller was never a thing, Ola and Uber changed it all over. They offered comfort while travelling across the city streets. The people, who have travelled amidst the scorching sun in Kochi and Trivandrum in taxies and auto-rickshaws, know how bad it can get. With Ola and Uber, comfort has become one of the most defining aspects of travelling, especially in Kochi and Trivandrum.

Exceptional Choices

Ola and Uber also provide the customers with exceptional choices of a wide range of vehicles such as Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar or any other luxury car that they can choose to travel by. This is an exciting thing to really take advantage of and something that traditional taxi services in Kochi and Trivandrum would not even think or afford to provide.

A Great Platform for Unorganized Taxi Cars

Uber and Ola are also a great platform for the unorganized taxi cars that do not have the opportunity to get rides on their own. By attaching their vehicles to the platforms, many taxies can get a lucrative ride. The technologically advanced platform intelligently assigns rides to the cabs which are near the users and hence efficiently saves the time of both the parties involved and in the process delivers value to everyone.

While Ola and Uber may have taken a large chunk of business from the local taxies and auto-rickshaws, it is better for competition and ultimately the people these cities are benefitted.