An additonal category of cabs is being tested by homegrown cab hailing service Ola. Called Ola Prime Plus, the premium service with "no cancellation" or operations issues is being tested in the Indian city of Bengaluru.
The announcement was made by Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal on Twitter. He also posted a screenshot that showed the Ola Prime Plus option on the Ola cabs app.
"Testing out a new premium service by @Olacabs! Prime Plus: Best drivers, top cars, no cancellations or operational hassles. Will go live for select customers in Bangalore today. Do try it out ðððž I’ll be using it frequently and will share my experiences here on Twitter," Aggarwal tweeted on Sunday.
As mentioned earlier, the Ola Prime Plus service is currently being tested in in Bengaluru and it is available for select users only. The service is likely to expand to other cities soon. However, there is no official confirmation on the timeline. Currently, Ola Cabs offers rides in the following categories: Ola Mini, Ola Auto and Bike as well as Prime Sedan, Prime SUV and Rentals for specific requirements.
The homegrown cab aggregator has decided not to hire new drivers or add new cars to its fleet for the Ola Prime Plus premium service. Instead, the company will utilise its existing fleet. Drivers already employed by Ola, with top ratings and meeting other quality metrics, will be eligible to participate in the new service as drivers, say media reports.
Meanwhile, Ola's rival Uber recently launched its all-electric Uber Green in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Uber Green mobility will become available starting in June.
Uber Green allows passengers to request an all-electric, zero tailpipe emission vehicle rather than a regular fossil-fuelled car, bringing to India an on-demand EV experience with just a few taps on the app. Uber Green is the most widely available on-demand mobility solution in the world for no or low-emission rides, present in more than 100 cities in 15 countries around the world.