Ola signs MoU with Assam govt to pilot River Taxi Service in Guwahati

The MoU has been signed in the presence of Assam Transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Vijay Ghadge, VP of Operations of Ola in the Assam Advantage - Global Investors' Summit ended on Sunday at Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati. 

Ola launched in Assam in December 2014 and has since transformed the commuting experience of citizens with a range of offerings for day to day as well as long distance, inter-city and state commute.

Bringing water taxis on the online platform, a localised and key mode of commute in the capital city will further strengthen the transportation ecosystem.

App-based bookings will streamline demand, and enable advance bookings and cashless payments, ensuring a convenient commuting experience as well as given an impetus the local transportation infrastructure and economy.

Assam Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said Assam has a very unique transportation landscape where water transport plays an important role in cities such as Guwahati.

"Ola has played a key role in streamlining road transport over the last few years in the state. This time around, we are thrilled to extend the partnership with Ola to pilot app-based water taxis in the capital city. We are certain that bringing a localised mode of commute on an app platform will enable convenient transportation for citizens and tourists alike, and we look forward to more such collaborations with Ola," the Assam Minister said.

Vijay Ghadge, VP of Operations at Ola, said that, convenience and safety of the commuters are paramount to us.

"Our aim is to stand out as a reliable choice of transportation for the country. Our intent is reflected in all our partnerships with various state governments across transportation and tourism. As a part of this endeavour, we are delighted to partner and work with the Government of Assam to enhance and empower the local transportation infrastructure. We laud the Government’s efforts in providing opportunities to companies such as ours and are honoured to be a part of this initiative," Vijay Ghadge said.

The river taxis will be a machine-operated boat, which is faster and safer than the conventional ones.

Ola will pilot high-speed taxis on the Lachit Ghat, Machkhowa to North Guwahati route, bringing the commute time down 2-5 minutes from 45 minutes by road.

The fast pace of these boats-cum-taxis will not only reduce the travel time, but will also provide a more comfortable journey for its commuters.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)