DriveU, Indian on-demand driver aggregator has launched its service in Hyderabad. DriveU, headquartered in Bengaluru is a mobile technology-enabled, on-demand private driver service for personal car owners. The DriveU App is currently available on Android and iOS-based mobile devices and offers a seamless mobile booking, tracking and payment platform.
With this launch, DriveU now in six major metros of India is set to enhance customer experience for the car owning public in Hyderabad, by implementing the best practices in technology, driver verification, training methods and on-road commute experience for both intra and inter-city travel – be it for shopping, running errands, airport drops and pickups, business meetings, day to day commuting, and for attending social events, dining, concerts, weddings, parties, weekend getaways and more.
Uniformed drivers equipped with seat covers, floor mats and more arrive at one’s doorstep to drive around the city. DriveU lets one to focus on their life, rather than struggle with traffic jams and parking woes. One can now travel in the comfort of their own car and not experience the anxiety of not being able to hail a cab during bad weather conditions or rush hour; nor worry about being charged peak hour pricing either.
“We have heard a lot of good things about DriveU from our friends in other cities. We are happy that they have launched their service here in Hyderabad. DriveU has plans to attach over 1,000 drivers next year in Hyderabad alone. Their uniformed, professional drivers are also known to earn good income. We welcome DriveU to Hyderabad,” said Mr.B.Gopala, Chairman & Managing Director of Karthik Group of Companies based in Hyderabad.
Speaking at the launch, Ashok Shastry, co-founder and COO at DriveU said, “After our successful launch in major Indian metros over the past year, DriveU is excited to roll out its service in the City of Pearls. Hyderabad is one of the fastest growing, affluent city in India and we look forward to revolutionizing the experience for the car-owning Hyderabadis. We look forward to leveraging our technology prowess, operational excellence, and focus on customer satisfaction here.”
How does it work? You can hail a driver using the DriveU app, just like you hail a taxi using popular transportation apps in the market. You can track the driver’s progress to your door step , and view the driver’s photo, rating and contact information. Uniformed drivers equipped with seat covers and floor mats arrive at your doorstep to drive you around and to let you focus on more important things in life instead. No more struggling with traffic jams and parking woes! You now can travel in the comfort of your own car and not experience the anxiety of being unable to hail a taxi during rush hour or inclement weather; and since DriveU doesn’t believe in surge pricing, you no longer have to worry about getting fleeced with peak-hour pricing either!
Pricing The hallmark of DriveU business model is a simple, transparent, pay-as-you-go charge of ₹89 per hour – anytime, anywhere within the city limits. Consumers pay only for the amount of time they utilize for the service, after the first hour. There is a nominal one-way surcharge of ₹100/- and a night time surcharge of ₹150/- for trips ending between 10PM and 6AM. DriveU also offers Outstation service at ₹1,199/- per 24 hours, and ₹599 per 12 hour blocks thereafter. . At the end of the journey, consumers may pay however they’d like-- cash, credit, debit or net banking. One may also choose to use digital wallets such as DriveU Wallet, PayTM or PayU.
Curated drivers DriveU takes utmost care to screen and attach safe, dependable, and quality drivers on its platform. They are the brand ambassadors and DriveU ensures that they hold the same philosophy as the company’s five core values – Integrity, Customer focused, Kaizen (continuous improvement), Accountability and Teamwork.
● Safety of customers is of paramount importance to DriveU. It follows stringent policies to ensure our customer’s safe journey. As part of the registration process, DriveU ensures that a driver completes the following formalities before coming on board: character interview, background verification and records check, soft skills training, and on-road test to verify their driving performance.
● Once a driver is onboarded, they undergo further behavioral and app training.
● If the need arises, customers can reach out to our 24x7 care centers by using the integrated chat feature in the DriveU app. This technology allows our team to quickly coordinate between teams and resolve issues within minutes!
Societal Impact Typical full-time drivers in India earn between ₹15,000 per month. At DriveU, full-time drivers typically earn between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000. In addition to earning higher income, DriveU provides a professional platform for the drivers that they can be proud of. We often see them at the office with a huge smile on their face!
Though our typical driver works full-time at DriveU, increasingly we are attracting a new breed of younger, hipper, multi-lingual, college-going or college-educated drivers who are attached as drivers at DriveU on a part-time basis. They fulfill their passion of driving, traveling to interesting places, and meeting new people; at the same time they like the fact that they can make additional income on the side.
