Over 79 per cent Indians won't buy car if ridesharing benefits match car ownership: Uber report

NEW DELHI: Indian cites are 149 percent more congested than other Asian cities, said Uber commissioned BCG report on Wednesday.

According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey, up to 89 percent of people plan to buy a new car in the next five years.

"However, over 79 percent would refrain from buying a car if ridesharing matches car ownership for affordability and convenience," said the report.

The 40-page report titled 'Unlocking Cities: The impact of ridesharing across India' was commissioned to better understand the benefits and potential of ridesharing in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore.

The report was launched in the presence of Barney Harford, Uber's Global COO; Amit Jain, President, Uber India and South Asia; Suresh Subudhi, Partner, BCG & Ann Lavin, Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, Uber APAC.

"For over 9 years now, Uber has been a pioneer in ridesharing, globally. Closer home, we continue to be at the forefront when it comes to unlocking the true potential of ridesharing for India. Through this study, we are hoping to draw the attention of administrators and urban planners on how shared cars and mobility can be part of the solution vs. individual car ownership," said Amit Jain.

"In the coming months, we will introduce several India first innovations that will help bring the benefits of ridesharing to many more Indians and enable us to work with the Government towards a common goal: reduce private car ownership and expand access to public transit systems. We are delighted that India has embraced shared mobility in a big way -- but we still have a long way to go. Together with the Government, we aim to continue playing a key role in improving lives and cities," added Jain.

Suresh Subudhi said, "Cost of congestion is alarmingly high across Indian cities. We need to creatively think about increasing public transport usage and network while managing private transport growth. On-demand ride sharing is a practical way to reduce no of private vehicles on the road and reduce congestion. It is important to encourage this proactively."

The study found that rideshare vehicle deliver on average 1.4-3.3 times more passenger-kilometres compared to private vehicles.