BENGALURU:There is one more reason not to own a car now as ride-hailing major Ola on Thursday launched its self-drive cab rental service "Ola Drive".
The service has been initially rolled out for users in Bengaluru, with Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi to follow shortly, the company said in a statement.
Ola Drive will appear as a new category on the Ola app. The service is being rolled out to users in Bengaluru through pick-up stations located across different residential and commercial hubs.
Users can choose to book a car of their choice for as little as two hours by paying a security deposit starting at Rs 2, 000.
Ola said it intends to host a fleet of 20, 000 cars by 2020 to build and scale up the Ola Drive service across several Indian cities.
"Ola Drive will play a transformative role in defining India's car-sharing market in the next decade, " said Arun Srinivas, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Ola.
"In the first phase of its roll-out, Ola Drive will be offered as a short-term self-drive car-sharing service as we look to introduce long-term subscription, corporate leasing, and more options in the times to come, " he said.
All Ola Drive cars across segments will come equipped with Ola's connected car platform 'Ola Play', enabled through a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment device, and will include GPS, media playback, and Bluetooth connectivity, the company said.
Users will also have access to the platform's support and safety features such as a 24/7 helpline, emergency button (which prompts an immediate call from Ola's dedicated safety response team) and real-time tracking.
The service will also include roadside assistance, to ensure a reliable, secure and comfortable driving experience, the company added.