Bengaluru auto-rickshaw drivers launch ‘Nagara’ app, makers say it will help bring back meter culture

According to Niranjanardhya N, CEO of Brand Pride Mobility Pvt Ltd, the objective is to reintroduce the meter culture in autos by onboarding professional auto drivers in Bengaluru.

The passengers will be charged as per the fixed government rates of Rs 30 for the first two kilometre and Rs 15 for every subsequent kilometre.

The innovative solution allows the driver to initiate a ride on their own for street hailing passengers through the unique Driver QR Code.

“Drivers can fulfill customer requests made through multiple channels like on-street hailing, the app’s website, and WhatsApp and eventually, through several ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) buyer applications. Nagara metered autos will bring professional, transparent, fair and reliable auto-rickshaw services for the citizens of Benglauru,” said Niranjanaradhya.

How does the ‘Nagara’ app work

The innovative solution allows drivers to initiate a ride with the help of their unique Driver QR codes for passengers who wish to book a ride through street-hailing. The app provides every driver their own unique webpage to share their professional credentials with the customers.

Additionally, drivers will receive pick-up and drop locations through their easy to understand app interface for digitally hailed trips. The driver will down the fare meter only after punching in the passenger OTP and will directly collect the fare which is calculated as per the distance travelled and displayed on the fare meter at the end of the trip.

According to Niranjanaradhya, 1,000 auto-rickshaw drivers have downloaded the app and 244 have completed the registration. “The idea is to bring meter regulatory fares back into the mainstream mobility scene. After the rise of aggregator apps, drivers have forgotten about meters and passengers don’t even know that meters exist. But with the ‘Nagara’ app, passengers can now hail metered autos through the website, street-hailing mode or through a WhatsApp chatbot which will be rolled out very soon,” said Niranjanaradhya.

Currently, the platform, which is in the trial stage, does not charge any subscription fees to the auto-rickshaw drivers. In the coming days, depending on the demand, drivers will be charged weekly, monthly or annual subscription fees, an official said.

Further, the decision on pickup charges will be left to the discretion of the auto driver community which will take a call after consulting with all the stakeholders. “The auto-rickshaw drivers have also demanded a hardship allowance in case the government does not revise the fares for auto-rickshaws in the coming days. We will decide on these aspects by consulting all stakeholders,” said Niranjanaradhya.