Ola To Digitise Public Transportation With The Acquisition Of Ridlr
The acquisition closely follows a range of milestones viz. FoodPanda acquisition and launch in International markets like Australia
Bengaluru/Delhi, 3 April 2018: Ola, India’s leading and one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies today announced the acquisition of Mumbai-based Ridlr, an end-to-end public transport ticketing and commuting app. The acquisition complements Ola’s continued efforts to integrate its mobility platform with public transportation infrastructure. The integration of Ridlr will bring new opportunities for users to serve their mobility needs.
Established in 2012, Ridlr enables users to search and book public transport options on their mobile phones. Ridlr’s proprietary IoT devices bring digital capabilities to public transportation in India. 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.
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. The challenge really 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. I am delighted to welcome the Ridlr team on board and join our mission of building mobility for a billion people.”
Brijraj Vaghani, Founder – Ridlr said, “The digital technology-driven services of Ridlr and Ola are a perfect synergistic fit. We have been offering end-to-end mass transit solutions to Indians, making their daily commute seamless across different public transportation modes. 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 be joining Ola. 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. Brijraj Vaghani, founder of Ridlr to continue leading its operations.
About Ola
Founded in 2011 by Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, Ola is one of the world’s largest ride-sharing companies. Ola integrates city transportation for customers and driver-partners onto a mobile technology platform ensuring convenient, transparent, and quick service fulfilment. Ola is focused on leveraging the best of technology and building innovative solutions ground-up, that are relevant at global scale. Notably, in 2016, Ola Play the world’s first connected car platform for ride-sharing was launched, transforming commuting experiences and setting the tone for global innovation in this space. Beyond offering a highly personal experience for users during their rides, Ola Play also allows its partners like Microsoft, Apple Music, Sony Liv amongst others, to build a high quality interactive and productive experience for its users. Using the Ola mobile app, users across 110+ cities, can connect with over 1,000,000 driver-partners across cabs, auto-rickshaws, and taxis. Driven by a hyperlocal approach, Ola is committed to its mission of building mobility for a billion people.
About Ridlr
Ridlr is an end-to-end public transport ticketing and commuting app that fulfils a commuter’s daily intra-city travel needs. It has been enabling users to plan their travel by searching for and booking their preferred mode of public transport, offering unique pay-and-commute solutions for multimodal transportation. Established in Mumbai in 2012, Ridlr is the first company in the country to provide real-time traffic information for Indian cities using homegrown technology and one of the first companies globally to enable mobile ticketing services for the metro rail. Its vision and mission has been simple: to bring a seamless and digital experience into the mass transit system in the country and make public transport in India as smooth as it is in many Western nations.
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