Taxi-hailing service Uber will now allow commuters in Delhi to book auto-rickshaw rides through its app, making the Indian capital the only city in its global operations to accept cash payments.
The new service, uberAUTO, is aimed at helping the US-based firm gain stronghold in the Indian market, as it heats up its battle with close rival Ola, who already has a auto-rickshaw aggregator service.
"Autos are the most ubiquitous transport in almost any city and Indians are used to having autos around. It simply makes more sense for the auto driver and commuter to connect via our platform and use the advantage of new technologies," Uber's Delhi GM Gagan Bhatia told PTI.
In a first for the company, the commuters will have to pay in cash.
The pricing will be based on the fare rules set out by Delhi state authorities and Uber will not charge any fee for the service, it added.
Last year, Bangalore-based Ola had launched the auto-hailing service in the national capital. However, it charges a convenience fee of Rs 10.
Uber said, for now the services will only be available in Delhi. However, according to market insiders, the company may launch such service in Mumbai and Bangalore also.
Bhatia further said the company's vision is to bring the Uber experience to more people and "uberAUTO is another step in this direction."
Uber has been in headlines since December, after one of its driver allegedly raped a passenger in the city.
Soon after that, the government blocked its services in the city, however, the company did not suspend its operations. It then filed a radio-taxi license, though it does not own any vehicles and runs on a marketplace model.
Launched in 2013 in the country, it has already USD 5.9 billion in funding and is valued as one of the top start-ups globally.
