Shared mobility was one of the burgeoning businesses before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and cab aggregators did face a tough time, even in India when the pandemic hit our nation. However, the market has again started to pick up a few months after easing off of the lockdown and we are seeing more players coming in. Odisha based taxi aggregator- HLW Cab Services that started its business in 2019 has now launched its service in the Delhi-NCR region and is planning to expand over to 30 cities by the end of this year.
The company will be expanding its operations to over 30 cities in 2021.
Trupti Ranjan Das, Chairman- HLW Cab Services said, "Delhi NCR is one of India's biggest markets for ride-hailing services and its launch in the region is a key development in HLW's expansion strategy. We have witnessed incredible growth across Odisha as customer demand has been on a long-run upward trend. Delhi is a big city and we see a lot of potentials to grow here as the opportunities are endless. I believe HLW's innovative model will be able to address the demanding need for an affordable, accessible, and safe everyday commute solution in Delhi."
It promises complete sanitisation and safety for its passengers along with GPS tracking and wi-fi facility.
The company had started business in Bhubaneswar and is already operating in 16 cities in the state at present. In its next phase of expansion, HLW cabs is planning to expand to Chandigarh, Jaipur and Patna which will be the most imminent ones and other locations will follow subsequently. Passengers can book the cabs through its app available on Google Play Store or App Store, while can also call on toll-free numbers to book a cab. Its fleet comprises of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Tata Indica, Tata Indigo, Toyota Etios and Toyota Innova among others. The company is also planning to start with bike taxi services soon. Each cab is equipped with GPS technology enabling live ride tracking, along with an emergency alert button and a driver body camera.
The company claims its services to be about 25 per cent more affordable than rivals.
Speaking about other services, HLW Cab offers a free in-cab Wi-fi facility and passengers get in-cab entertainment platform that lets them watch videos and play music. That said, what really sets it apart is that passengers are not bound to pay any surcharge in peak hour traffic or weather conditions and the driver is not allowed to cancel more than three rides and that too with proper written explanation. In fact, HWL will terminate their contract if the drivers cancel over three rides. Then, the company is also claiming that its services are about 20 per cent - 25 per cent more affordable than the competitors.
