28 June,2017 06:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Starting tomorrow, Mumbaikars can book the city's iconic black and ywellow taxis from their samrtphones with the help of an app called 'Aamchi Drive'
Kaali-peelis in Mumbai. File pic
Are the iconic kaali-peelis of Mumbai going to turn app-based like Ola and Uber? Maharashtra transport minister Diwakar Raote will be launching an app called 'Aamchi Drive', which will enable Mumbaikars to book the black and yellow taxis from their smartphones. 'Aamchi Drive' app will be launched in collaboration with Mumbai Taxi Association.
According to a report in Times of India, state transport minister will launch the app tomorrow and city-goers can start using it immediately after the launch. The digitization of kaali-peeli will also help people to pay the fares through mobile wallets like MobiKwik.
Mumbai Taximen's Union leader A L Quadros told to the publication, "There will be no more complaints of refusals as our taxis will be available in the same way as an Ola or Uber." In another statement to the website, Quadros said, "When a commuter makes a booking on his smartphone, he will get a list of taxis parked in the vicinity. There will be a central control room which will assign a taxi and send a message to both the driver and the customer. There will be no extra charge (or service charge) for booking. Our taxis will ply as per the RTO-approved fare".
The central control room will be based out of Western suburbs and will be monitored by a Bengaluru tech firm. The same partner will also be responsible for integrating the driver's bank accounts with the e-wallets of the passengers. This will ease out the transaction process and make the kaali-peeli ride a comfortable one.
