Tango through traffic jams in Kerala on two-wheeler taxis
KOCHI: App-based cabs such as Uber and Ola have positively changed the way people travel in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram with comfortable travel and cheaper fares vis-a-vis other car taxis. But yet, there was no escape from the traffic blocks and last-mile connectivity.
Now, a slew of bike taxis, which can snake through traffic blocks to get people to their destinations at a fraction of the time that a cab takes, are ready for launch in Kerala. The likes of Baxi, UberMoto, Bikxie and Thiruvananthapuram-based IGLU Innovation are knocking at the doors of the Transport Department for approval.
The Indian Motor Vehicles Act did not allow two-wheelers to operate as contract carriage till November 2015, after which seven states —Haryana, Uttar Padesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Telangana—opened up the regulation allowing the entry of bike taxis. Kerala is yet to bring out a notification allowing two-wheeler taxis.
IGLU founder and CEO Kannan Parakunnil said, “We are planning to start with 10-20 bikes. The MVD has been supportive during the discussions,” Kannan said.