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Uber Flex allows riders to choose a desired fare from the available options.Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch
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Uber has quiet been testing a compromising pricing table service in more than a dozen cities in India , a move that could help it flourish its consumer al-Qaeda in the South Asian nation and put pressure on rival ride - hailing platform , include Ola and inDrive .
The flexible pricing service , holler Uber Flex , was started inIndia in October last yearand has since expanded to more than 12 cities , including Aurangabad , Ajmer , Bareilly , Chandigarh , Coimbatore , Dehradun , Gwalior , Indore , Jodhpur and Surat , among others , TechCrunch has exclusively learned . Uber confirmed that the flexible pricing service has expanded .
“ We are piloting this characteristic in some of the Tier 2 and 3 markets in India presently , ” an Uber interpreter said in an emailed response to TechCrunch .
The service , which was initially rolled out for cabs and later expanded to auto - rickshaw ride , lets commuter train adjure a especial menu for their drive . That ’s dissimilar from Uber ’s standard active pricing role model , which go up and down depending on provision and demand and dealings in a particular neighborhood .
Uber Flex offer nine pricing points — with a default monetary value selected — to allow rider peck a transportation of their selection that will be shared with nearby driver . free-base on that fare , the drivers can take over or reject the ride .
Uber ’s competition inDrive , which operate on in a number of Indian urban center , allows riders to huckster the menu by manually place in a particular price for their ride . However , many inDrive driver in the country have complained about passengers offer them too low prices for their rides . inDrive has not yet addressed the driver worry over riders fiercely bargaining their fare and has instead touted that its “ unique approaching guarantee that drivers are fairly compensated while passengers bask an low-priced yet high - quality ride - hailing experience . ”
“ By offering drivers the choice to make counterbids to passenger ’ toll , inDrive fosters an choice for the driver to increase the price if he feel to do so , ” inDrive APAC director Roman Ermoshin told TechCrunch while answering how inDrive is addressing equipment driver concerns of not being fairly compensated .
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“ Drivers are often disgruntled with the pricing in the ride - hail platforms , as they ache for fairish compensation for their services . With a focusing on fairness and transparence , inDrive showcases a urge cost in the app , which is usually slightly humiliated than in the other apps , and this is made potential by inDrive ’s significantly low-spirited fee for drivers ( roughly double as low as the competitor , so the number one wood realise the same or more as with the high prices in the other apps ) . ”
Uber is trying to solve the too - down fare problem faced by some inDrive driver by not allowing rider to set up a specific fare manually in the flex - pricing mode . It also places a cap on the lowest fare .
The service is available for affordable Uber Go drive and Intercity cabs in some urban center , while in some , it is even offered for Premier cab and automobile - jinrikisha ride . Commuters can pay their menu in John Cash or via digital payment . Moreover , while Uber ’s flex pricing model is useable for various mode , the foray - hail giant star is not applying it to all musical mode in one metropolis .
Uber is test Flex in other markets include Lebanon , Kenya and Latin America . TechCrunch learned that the companionship was also front to quiz the new service model before long in metro cities in India , including Delhi and Mumbai .
In addition to Uber Flex , the San Francisco - headquarter company is testing unlike services in India to cater to the local demand . These include Uber Taxis in Mumbai , which offer traditional hack driver as an option in the metropolis , and a Wait & Save modeling in cities including Mumbai , Guwahati and Chandigarh to rent rider have the best upsurge pricing and pre - book a cab when useable at a cheaper menu .
India ’s app - based hack market has flourish recently , with new players entering its urban transportation blank in the last few months . Companies let in BluSmart and Evera offer electric hack , while Ola , Uber and inDrive have onboarded a great identification number of gasoline cabriolet . Last twelvemonth , bike cab startup Rapido alsostarted offering its cab servicein the country to flesh out its revenues and progress to young client .
Nonetheless , Indian cabriolet driver — irrespective of the weapons platform they ferment on — struggle due torelatively gloomy compensation and want of condom . There is no lucidness for many on whether they will stay in the job once their present vehicle become obsolete .
India ’s gig saving drivers face flop in the country ’s digital boom
