Ola acquires commuting app Ridlr to enable connectivity with public transport system

After including auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, ride sharing on its platform, Ola is now planning to digitise the public transportation system by connecting its mobility platform with buses, trains and metros. The cab aggregator on Tuesday said it has acquired Mumbai-based Ridlr to provide seamless transportation to those who use both the cab service as well as public transportation.

Ridlr is an end-to-end public transport ticketing and commuting app that makes it easy for you in daily intra-city travel. The simple idea behind the undisclosed deal is to allow its customers to connect through a monetized system of public transport after they end their journey on an Ola cab, thus helping them save time.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Ola said: "Public transportation serves millions of Indians every day, and powering these needs with real-time information, mobile ticketing, cashless payments, and reliable services is bound to impact their end experience." He said the challenge is to make the entire ecosystem inclusive and robust for all.

"Ridlr, in a short span has made huge strides in this space, and this latest acquisition lends muscle to our efforts in making transportation a far more holistic service."

"Combining Ridlr's innovations in mass transit with Ola's mobility products will enable true multi-modal mobility solutions for users at scale. With this acquisition, Ola will bring new technology and mobility options as it works to expand into and partner with cities in India and abroad," a company statement said.

After the acquisition, Ridlr will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of ANI Technologies, which owns the Ola brand. The deal with Ola would help Ridlr to expand its services out of Mumbai. Ola already works in partnership with several transit-service companies.

Brijraj Vaghani, Founder of Ridlr, said: "We have been offering end-to-end mass transit solutions to Indians. Ola, on the other hand, has made deep in-roads in the realm of urban mobility through its smart ridesharing solutions. By joining forces with Ola, we are delighted to become part of an evolved ecosystem that will act as a one-stop destination for any urban commute in an affordable and seamless manner."

Ridlr's team of 64 employees will join Ola and Brijraj Vaghani will continue to lead its operations. Ridlr is currently serving commuters in Mumbai and Delhi with partnerships with BEST, Delhi metro, and Mumbai metro, along with pilots in several other cities.

Ola had acquired smaller rival TaxiForSure in March 2015. In December 2017, the company entered in the food delivery business after buying Foodpanda's India business from Berlin-based Delivery Hero Holding GmbH, one of Europe's biggest startups and a leading global online food ordering and delivery marketplace, in exchange for its stock.