A ride-hailing mobile app created by a Bengaluru cab driver has grabbed the attention of netizens. It is called Nano Travels.
The post was shared by social media handle @TheBengaluruMan on X on December 20 as a ‘Peak Bengaluru’ moment. The post has garnered over 52,000 views since.
G Narayana Swamy aka Lokesh, the man behind the app, shared his story with Metrolife. He wanted to build a new service that would not charge “an unreasonable commission from drivers”. He drives with Uber and Ola and finds the commissions charged by them steep. While these cab aggregators levy around 20% of a ride’s fare as commission, Nano Travels levies only 5% per ride, says Lokesh.
He started Nano Travels as a cab service and revamped it as a ride-hailing app in 2023. “The business expanded by word of mouth. In 2020, we started (the service) by manually entering details of rides in a physical log sheet. In 2022, my team and I started working on the app,” he says.
Talking of another highlight of his service, he says, “Customers will not be charged for cancellation of rides.”
The platform has around 800 drivers registered on it currently. It provides rides within Bengaluru limits, including areas like Nelamangala, Devanahalli, and Hoskote. One can access the service on the app 24x7. Customers can book a ride immediately or schedule one for later. They can also buy a yearly subscription of 125 km or 250 km. One-time rides will cost Rs 34/km plus GST whereas rides booked using the subscription model will cost Rs 32/km plus GST.
Nano Travels is available on Play Store and App Store.
Published 03 January 2024, 00:01 IST