Rapido bike taxis save Rajamahendravaram commuters from perennial traffic woes

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The convenience of travelling on a two-wheeler inside the congested bylanes of Rajamahendravaram often outweighs the luxury of driving a car. In the snail-paced traffic, it’s the bike that can keep you moving. And the next time, you wish you actually had a bike, simply call rapido, the newly launched bike taxi service. The Bangalore-based company started services in Rajamahendravaram on January 31 and commuters are finding it easy and economical.

“The concept is to provide cheap and best transport facility for single commuters, especially to those who are in a hurry to reach their destination. There are people who may want to reach a hospital in time for an appointment, appear for exams and catch a train. And invariably, a bike is more handy than a car or public transport,” points out Sudheer, Rajamahendravaram Branch Head of Rapido. 

“Rapido services are available in many cities across the country including Bengaluru, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Indore, Mysore, Goa, Hyderabad, Guntur, and other cities. However, we wanted to test the response in the small towns,” he added.

The Rapido Bike taxi is a pick and drop model that works on a mobile application. The nearest rider is directed to the customer who books a taxi. In Rajamahendravaram, currently, there are over 160 bikes registered with Rapido. “We call the rider a captain. They need to have a valid driving licence and a bike. Anyone who owns a bike and wants to make some money out of it, can register with us for providing the services,” says Sudheer. 

“Rapido is just a platform to connect commuters and captains. The idea is also to promote bike pooling or sharing of vehicles. We charge minimum commission from the captains and give them incentives to encourage them into offering more rides. Apart from this, we promote road safety and awareness,” adds Sudheer.

Bike ride, a click away 
Rapido bike taxi service launched recently in Rajamahendravarm is catching up fast with commuters
With a base charge of `15 and a nominal `3 per kilometre, commuting on a bike taxi works out much cheaper than own transport, says Sudheer. 
“With the recent hike in bus fares and the skyrocketing fuel prices, it makes sense to opt for a bike taxi. That way, we ensure both the customer and the rider benefits,” Mahesh, a private employee.