BENGALURU: Cabs and commutes in the city are often topics of conversation, owing to safety issues. Which is why many companies are now turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to figure out how to make rides safe for commuters, especially women. One such startup, Routematic, has been trying to find a solution for employee transportation by tracking the travel route.
Routematic provides fleet services for corporate houses for employee pickups. The app includes features such as a one-click cab routing algorithm, hardware-independent solutions, automated vehicle allocation and dispatch and female employee safe drop confirmation. “These days people work around the clock and have odd shifts, which is a cause of concern in terms of safety.
We are trying to provide a solution for safe travel. Our thought is that if employees don’t worry about safety, then they will also be more productive at work,” says Surajit Das, one of the co-founders of the startup. The app is currently functional in 16 major cities in the country, including Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi. And more than 80 companies such as Infosys, Barclays, Mindtree are their clients. Around 1,50,000 users make use of the app for its safety features.
The startup was found in 2014 with three co-founders Sriram Kannan, Kavitha AR and Surajit Das. “Our company has always been a work-in-progress setup since the time it was conceptualised. One of our co-founders Kavitha, was a key contributor. The feedback helped improve the product and make it more reliable,” says Das.
The app also includes built-in physical panic buttons, app-based SOS alarm, real-time vehicle tracking, and a number masking facility. The number masking facility is a way to ensure that employees and drivers need not share their numbers. “I use the cab at late hours to return home. With so many incidents happening, it’s difficult for me to trust anyone. Since my company uses a transport system with safety features, it makes me feel better. At least I know that the drivers are verified,” says Parvithra M, who works for a multinational company.