After launching Ola cab, Auto, Shuttle, Autorickshaws and Motorcycles, Ola has launched bicycle sharing service; ‘Ola Pedal.’ The company is currently running pilot in Kanpur and will soon introduce across several cities where it runs its cab business.
Ola is focusing on making Pedal service available on college campuses, residential townships, and tech parks. Booking a pedal ride is similar to booking a cab on the Ola app. The pedal service will use “Aadhaar integrated solution,” and customers need to enter the code that is being displayed on the Ola app and upon finishing the ride, users can easily lock the cycle using the smart lock and doesn’t require you to leave the bike at a docking station.
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Ola says that the Pedal service will use machine learning algorithms that will ensure bikes are available where customers need them. These Ola Pedal bikes are made in India and come with features such as anti-slip chain, alloy frame, puncture proof tires and like with cab; users can also track their status while riding the cycles.
The Ola pedal service is free for the first 30 minutes and will be charged Rs. 5 for every half an hour thereon. Ola recently raised $1.1 billion funding from Tencent and Softbank and is on course to raise $1 billion more.
Ola, in a statement, said:
We are piloting Ola Pedal in various campuses, to begin with. With superior technology and availability to book on the same Ola app, which is used by millions of Indians on a daily basis, Ola Pedal will go a long way in solving larger issues like pollution and congestion in our cities, especially for short distance trips.
We are seeing massive interest in Ola Pedal from campuses and cities across the country and we are working on expanding the scope of this offering in the weeks ahead.