Skip to main content

Ola Vs Uber - The Ultimate Debate

For sometime, there has been this continuous debate over which taxi operator - Ola or Uber is better. So, I took it upon myself to distinguish between the two, analyse the pros and cons of both the apps, their drivers and customer satisfaction and here is my report:



Ola Cabs
OlaCabs:
  1. Ola Mini (Rs. 80 for 4 kms and thereafter Rs. 10/km)
  2. Ola Sedan (Rs. 100 for 4 kms and thereafter Rs. 13/ km)
  3. Ola Auto (Meter Rate + Rs10 convenience charge)
  •  Ola Mini offers its customers a small car with a small boot space at a relatively lower price. This car is ideal for 1 - 3 passengers but can hold 4 passengers (excluding the driver).
  • The Ola sedan can more or less comfortably hold 1 - 4 passengers (excluding the driver) at a slightly higher price.
  • The Ola Auto allows customers to book an auto which can hold upto 3 people. The advantages of an Ola Auto is that it allows customers to travel whatever distances that they want without bargaining with the Auto Driver. I, have used this feature a m times and at certain instances, the drivers have been mean and refused to come even after accepting the ride. But, they have never demanded excess fare, a sight common in India.
The App:
The Ola app is quite user friendly.The app allows users to book taxis with ease. Like mentioned above, it is quite user friendly. This allows old aged people who are trying hard to adapt to modern technology to easily book a cab for themselves. The app also has a detailed section which allows the users to know the taxi fares. Users can also share their location with another while in the taxi. This not only maintains the security of an individual, but it also lets the other person know when their friend is reaching a particular place. 


Uber:
  1.  uberGO (Base fare Rs. 30 + Rs.1/ min + Rs. 7/km. Min fare: Rs. 50, Cancellation Fare: Rs.50)
  2.  uberX (Base fare Rs. 40 + Rs.1/ min + Rs. 8/km. Min fare: Rs. 75, Cancellation Fare: Rs. 75)
  3. uberBLACK and uberSUV (Base fare Rs. 100 + Rs.2/ min + Rs. 17/km. Min fare: Rs. 150, Cancellation Fare: Rs. 150)
  •  uberGo, is the equivalent to Ola Mini.
  • uberX is the equivalent to the Ola Sedan
  • uberBLACK and uberSUV are big cars, which can seat 7 people or even larger. They are considerably more expensive. Only if a group of people want to travel together in one car and are not willing to travel in two separate cars this type of car is useful. This is because, it is cheaper to book two uberXs than one uberBLACK or uberSUV.
The App:
The app is again very user friendly. The difference between the two apps are negligible. 

Certain Similarities:
Considering that both these companies are mobile based taxi aggregators, they are bound to be major similarities. One similarity in both apps, that I personally think is very useful, is the 'Share Ride' option that allows its users to share a ride with their colleagues, friends etc. This will then result in the riders to share the cost of the ride in a hassle free manner.

Conclusion:
  • Both the apps are very well programmed. 
  • The drivers are more or less courteous.
  • The fares are not too high and are affordable.
  • Ola has an added option of hiring Autos which Uber doesn't have. 
  • Ola's rates remain more or less constant and the surcharge during peak time traffic isn't high. 
  • Uber's rate at face value appear cheaper than Ola, but surcharge rates are applied almost throughout the day. This makes the ride more expensive. 
  • Uber allows you to avail their services only after confirming your identity by using your credit card. 
  • Uber's SUV & BLACK option isn't really helpful as mentioned previously.
 As you might have guessed, the answer to my original question is:
Ola is a better taxi aggregator than Uber due to the reasons mentioned above.
In terms of star rating, I will rate Ola 4.5/5 and Uber 3.5/5
-------

Ola, nor Uber have paid me to write a review that benefits one of the companies. This review is based on personal views of the author and doesn't mean to offend any company. The review was written and judged in Bangalore, India and the quality of drivers/ service may differ in different parts of India. Any part of this review cannot be copied and published without the consent of the author.  
-
Reviews With Rao. All Rights Reserved
Labels:
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Great Omani Coastal Route

Route 15 : Muscat-Nizwa The parents, seemingly forever, had been planning a trip to Oman. Why Oman? Well, that’s a question I asked myself too. My dad, in the 90s, spent close to a decade in the UAE but barring a work trip, had never visited Oman. Fast forward to the 21 st   century, countless Oman Air flights from India to Europe later, he found himself stranded in Muscat. A ‘technical difficulty’ they said. He visited the Sultan Qaboos Mosque but didn’t get to see much more – it was only a 24-hour layover. However, the constant propaganda he was subjected to via the in-flight entertainment, and the cabin crew he made conversation with, convinced him that the country has a lot to offer. A friend from the UAE, who spoke highly of Oman, apparently also played a role.     The parents had their mind set on Oman. The stars aligned and clubbing together a bunch of bank holidays in India, they decided on visiting in April. Unfortunately, or fortunately (the jury is still out), ...
1 comment
Read more

Sustainable Bitcoin Mining

Source Bitcoin mining has become popular amongst people with large data processors and also fintech-geeks who are interested in the world of mining. Mining is at times not very profitable due to the increase in complexity of problems given to miners (as more and more Bitcoins are mined) and electricity and other expensive overheads. According to NZ Herald , "Bitcoin mining uses so much energy that it could cause blackouts". The repercussions due to this is that an American city known as Platssburgh has already banned cryptocurrency mining for 18 months and Iceland believes that more energy will be used to mine Bitcoin rather than power their houses this year! The need for a sustainable model for mining is prevalent. With the introduction of cloud mining, many "non-techy" users have been able to mine Bitcoins by buying Hash power from various companies and making them mine Bitcoins for you. All you need to do is invest a particular amount and leave the rest of...
Post a Comment
Read more

Club Penguin

Who likes playing computer games? If you do play this awesome game called Club Penguin. What You Can Do On Club Penguin You can play many games and earn coins. Buy things at the gift shop. It is very safe to play on club penguin. If you have any friends on club penguin, you can meet them online. You do not have to give your real name. You have to give a penguin name. Eg. my name on club penguin is "Desipen". Link Click here to visit their website.
5 comments
Read more

Life Updates - 2020 (Part 1 of 2)

You may remember my post from about two years ago when I wrote a rather detailed essay on my personal life. The aim of this post is similar; provide an update on what I have been up to, life lessons, challenges, what my future is, and what I envisage it to be. This post is not going to be an extended personal statement that one would generally see me writing for college but includes a more personal touch and less about specific and individual achievements of mine over the last two years. Certain exceptions do exist. The article is going to be divided into two parts. This one will talk about school, college and life in general. It is more of a report if I can call it that. The second article will be about what I have learnt in the last two years. It is a bit philosophical, so I figured that not as many people might be interested in reading it.  School In 2018, I changed schools and ended up studying at Mallya Aditi International School, which, despite its ups and do...
1 comment
Read more

Cake Models

My sister taught me how to make cake models. It is very easy. If you want to learn how to make it continue reading my blog. Materials required: 1/4 mug water Powder 2 Bowls cloth clay Kumkum    Newspaper Powder Make the clay any shape you want. (remember that is going to be the shape of your cake). Make it flat at the bottom so that it can stand well. Take the kumkum and powder and mix well. Make sure it is not too thick or not too watery. Spread the mixture on the cake and design the cake however you want. You can experiment by using different things to change the colours.
3 comments
Read more

Ather Energy - Electric Scooters that compete with Aprilias and Vespas

Ather Energy, a Bengaluru based start up created by former IITians finally unveiled their electric scooters - Ather 340 and the Ather 450. Priced slightly on the higher side at INR 1.09 L and 1.24L (on road - Bengaluru) including the FAME subsidy and all taxes, the scooters are exciting and a must try for scooter buyers who do not mind shelling out a little more money than a mid-range scooter would cost and do not mind using it primarily for short distance commutes. Ather 450 Their showroom is located on 100ft Road in Indiranagar. You can visit them at any time and their staff is extremely accomadating and will help you with any queries that you may have. If there is not too much of a crowd, they will allow you to take a test ride too. Ather opened their showroom today (8th, June, 2018). I visited them and was mighty pleased with what they were doing. In an interesting conversation with Mr. Swapnil Jain , the humble and down to earth Co-Founder and CTO, I learnt a lot abo...
Post a Comment
Read more

The concept of privilege and how I was blind to it

This is an essay that  I  wrote as part of my Ashoka University application process. The reason for uploading it is that the concept of privilege that I write about, has impacted me and moulded my political ideology. Do give it a read, it may make you reconsider your opinions too! Write about an experience from your past, which has significantly shaped you as a person and your perspective(s) on life. Elaborate upon the experience, your personal engagement with it, and the manner in which it has changed you. Provide other relevant details to help us better understand you.   (Maximum Word Limit - 450 words)   *   I am born into a family of privilege, and until I undertook courses on sociology and political science, I was blind to it. I reaped the benefits of being privileged – I am a Hindu, male whose family could afford my education and three square meals a day. I have been extensively educated in good private schools, and the opportunity to avail outs...
5 comments
Read more