Rapido introduces 'Auto Plus' in Bengaluru, offers rides with no cancellations: Report

App-based aggregator Rapido has launched a new feature in Bengaluru called “Auto Plus” that guarantees rides with no cancellations. The ride-hailing company had previously launched this feature in Hyderabad in September.

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Here is all you need to know:

1. The company launched the new feature in the Karnataka capital on a pilot basis this month and said more than 10,000 auto rickshaw drivers are part of the premium service already, as quoted by Moneycontrol.

2. The Auto Plus service makes sure that once a ride is confirmed, there are no cancellations, which increases reliability for passengers and also ensures income stability for captains (drivers), the company told the publication.

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3. Charges for this new feature are reportedly 25 to 30 per cent higher than normal auto ride fares on the app. Rapido charges ?46 as its minimum fare for its regular auto service, which consists of ?36 as the main ride fare with ?10 as a pickup charge, however, the Auto Plus feature charges customers ?71 as minimum fare, with no breakup provided.

4. The aggregator aims to integrate more than 50,000 Rapido Auto captains into the service over the next three months.

5. Auto Plus represents an upgraded version of Rapido's previously existing auto service, and has been “designed to offer a more convenient and reliable experience to both customers and captains”, a statement accessed by the publication said.

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The fares charged by Rapido are reportedly over the High Court mandated rates. Notably, the transport department had come down heavily on app-based ride-hailing aggregators including Ola and Uber for charging exorbitant rates last year and enforced a minimum fare of ?35, against the ?100 that they were previously charging.