Ola Boats may soon be a real thing. Bengaluru-based cab aggregator Ola has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Assam to pilot an app-based river taxi service in Guwahati, which is the financial hub of Northeast.
According to a statement from the company, this MoU was signed during the Global Investors Summit: Advantage Assam, which is currently underway in Guwahati. Transport Industry and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary along with Vijay Ghadge, Vice President Operations of Ola inked the deal.
The river taxis will be a machine-operated boat, which is faster than the ones in use and will help bring down the commute time down to 2-5 minutes from 45 minutes by road. These high-speed taxis that Ola will pilot will be high-speed taxis and will be operated on the Lachit Ghat, Machkhowa to North Guwahati route.
Ola is looking to enable advance bookings and cashless payments to make bookings more convenient and streamlined by making them app-based. It is aimed at boosting and strengthening the transportation ecosystem.
"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,” Vijay Ghadge said.
Ola launched its services in Assam in December 2014. With water playing an important role in cities such a Guwahati, the transport minister believes Ola will help in boosting the transportation infrastructure further.
“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," he added.