After some success of Radio Taxi in NCR, Now Gurgaon will have similar services for Auto-Rickshaws in name of Radio Tuk-Tuk (Radio Autos).
Just call the helpline number (0124-2343434) and rickshaw will be there for the intra-city travel (as of now only inside Gurgaon).
This can be a convenience mode of transport for commuters, specially women, in the millennium city.
Operational Timings: Now 24 hours (Earlier it was 6:30 AM till 11:30 PM)
Booking phone number/helpline: 0124-2343434.
Rates: Rs 50 for the first three kilometres and thereafter Rs 8 for every additional kilometre.
Features:
1. Global Positioning System (GPS) to track auto position.
2. Free Mobile phone charging socket
3. Panic Button for commuters.
4. Red color auto (Not sure if this is good, keeping in mind the Delhi Red-line private buses history)
All these autos run on CNG (compressed natural gas) and are specially made by TVS Motors.
As of now only 50 autos are on road.
Credential and background of all drivers has been verified to ensure commuter safety.
According to its founder Sulabh Mehra, Since its launch, service is running house-full and they are receving more than 600 calls per day.
Apparently Chandigarh had also started similar service in Sept, 2009. They are operational 24×7. The charges are fixed at Rs.10 for the first kilometer and Rs.8 for subsequent kilometers while between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. there would be an extra charge of 25 percent. Waiting charges is Rs.30 for an hour after free first fifteen minutes. But in march, It was reported that the service is dying a slow death with the reason of Financial loss close to Rs 80,000 per month.
Considering the previous failures of Gurgaon administration plans for within-city transport (City buses, Autos, Cabs, Traffic management etc.) and also the failure of Chandigarh in similar implementation, Its very early to comment on success/failure. Another issue to face is the threats tuk-tuk drivers have started receiving from other normal auto drivers.
Lets keep our fingers crossed and Lets hope an idea of young and 25 years old entrepreneur turns into big success. This city desperately needs intra-city transport.
Update: Another Auto-on-call service has been started on 6th March, 2011. In the name of AutoCall, it will start with 30 GPS-fitted blue colored auto rickshaws. Their operational timings will be 6:30 AM till 11:30 PM and Booking phone number/helpline will be 0124-4844444. Rates: Rs 10 per kilometer and Rs 1 for every 100 meters. Apparently, owner of this service is also a below 30 youngster, Vineet Goel.
White Xpress: Rs. 40 for the first 2 km; and subsequently Rs. 8 per kilometer is charged. The autos are available between 6.30 am to 10 pm, and can also be booked through the hotline service, by calling at 0124-48111111
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We welcome the feedback. We are in process and upgrading the telephone lines 0124-2343434. However we can also be contacted at +91-9990331122 till the lines are upgraded.
Sulabh,
1. Now a days, nobody picks up the call at your call centre - I had a booking at 11.30 pm today - no tuk tuk landed up. I tries calling call centre - 15 tries, nobody picked up between 11.03 pm to 11.50 pm. Then yur operator Sumit had the audacity to tell me that you had never booked! This is absolute pits. Please develop a culture f customer care
Good information. Though I write about Traffic scene of Delhi only but would like to share it on my blog.
hello sir,
its been 3 times tht i have called radio tuk tuk for the service...but all three times they have replied that driver's are not available....its been very disappointing....
Hi all,
Radio tuk tuk is nothing but a giant leap fo faith. Take their name and jump in the well... If they feel like they will rescue you otherwise.. Who even has the courtsey to call up and say.. Sorry sir we are overbooked, kindly make some other arrangments.
Yesterday, 26-1-11, i booked a tuk tuk for 8.30pm pickup from awho society sohna road gurgaon to huda metro station. But nothing cam till the set time, no auto , no msg with contact details, no phone call,
I call up the helpline, they give me a drivers number, i myself call him up and he is in dlf phase 3, (oops), he promises to call up the call centre and get me another tuk tuk,. He calls back n says .. Sir tuk tuk is on the way. Another hour of wait... N nothing comes..
Take away: for a 7 km ride when a nornal auto n a 'radio tuk tuk' are equally fleecing, the bad guys (normal autos) have the courtsey not to ditch you.. Atleast the pirates have a CODE.
Hi pankaj,
I am Harish. We run Easy Auto in Patna. Read below:
As appeared in “The Economist” website
Three wheels good
Oct 21st 2010, 18:05 by A.R. | PATNA
BIHAR, India’s poorest state, has never been an easy place to do business. But with its GDP said to be growing by a merry 11% each year, more outsiders are eager to try. A few years ago there were one or two daily flights from Delhi; now there are seven or eight, most of them pretty full. Yet not much is moving fast on the ground. Step off your plane in Patna, the state capital with over a million residents, and you are lucky to find a taxi to the city. At Patna's plushest hotel (perhaps an overstatement) renting a set of wheels proved impossible on some days this week (on another, more fortuitously, your correspondent rode around in a splendid white Ambassador car, a 1940s-style beast of a vehicle usually favoured by elderly officials).
A few horse-drawn carts are still evident on the streets, along with throngs of bicycle rickshaws with tinkling bells, but the latter seem only to ply set routes. Auto-rickshaws (auto-tuks, the equivalent of the tuk-tuks of Thailand) honk endlessly and spew blue exhaust across the city, but it’s tricky to persuade a driver to change his route, at least if you are not fluent in Hindi. So all praise to the latest innovation to reach Patna: the metered “Easy Auto”. You can book from a central office (9234 68 68 68), let the meter tick along quietly and explain to your driver to cut across town. Then sit back and marvel as he drives through the crowds, the exhaust and the swirling traffic and takes you directly where you want to go. A modern marvel.
Contact me at 9234696969
Dear Nitin,
We regret the inconvenience caused because of us, however we request you not to get fitful as glitches and errors happen where humans are involved. Please contact us on 91-9990331122, we value your feedback.
Thanks
RADIO TUK TUK
Today for the first time i thought to use the services, i was told that booking is possible only after 11-11:30 am not prior to that.
My experience with tuk tuk is different. Response at customer care level is good, but the kind of autowalahs they have kept is really questionable. Inefficient, unconcerned, dumb and all other synonyms. To succeed in any business ground level people in this case autowalahs should be at least better than those who run padel rickshaw.
Dear Anu,
Thank You for the feedback.
We are working on this issue, Yes Tuk Tuk drivers are not educated, however we are imparting them a basic sense of responsibility and "RESPECT". Our organization is for the society i.e the passengers and THE DRIVERS. We are focusing on bring up their thought process of an educated person. Yes it will take its time, but we will succeed.
Please contact us on 0124-2343434 or +91-9990331122 for any feedback.
Thanks
Radio Tuk Tuk
I called for a radio tuk tuk at 9:00 am today 26/Apr 2011 for a pick up at 11:15am from Suncity to Gurgaon HUDA Metro Station. The booking was confirmed and I was told I would receive a SMS or call confirming the same. Did not receive anything, so called them at 10:45 am to check on it. I was assured that the tuk tuk will be at the address at the designated time. Fine, waited till 11:20 am, no message, no call. So I called them back and the phones kept hunting for a line. Tried several times and then the phone was answered. I was told that the tuk tuk would be there in 5 minutes. Waiting waiting...still no show. Now it is 11:40 am, I called again only to be told that I had cancelled the booking !
I was left with no choice but the make my own arrangements. Just as I was on my way I get a call from the tuk tuk driver, saying he is at my address. Well, I thought I cancelled the booking!
I am extremely disappointed by the customer service. If you cannot deliver then say so, don't give us false assurances. I think I am better off with the radio cabs. I know one thing for sure they will turn up at least 10-15 minutes before the booking time.
Another unfortunate experience...I booked Tuk Tuk Auto today and subsequently, as my travel plan got cancelled, I called them up to cancel the booking well in advance. The guy on phone told me that I can't cancel my program as I have already booked the Tuk Tuk auto :-).
As I patiently explained to him that I can't make up my plan just to use the auto, oprator on the phone started demanding cancellation charges which they never mentioned at the time of booking.
The guy on the phone felt to be very RUDE (may be from my expectation of comparing him with Bangaloreans, as I have come here to visit from Bangalore). I was experiencing similar behaviour as if I was dealing with a typical arrogant auto driver on the road.
Now, I am anticipating that some one would come & demand cancellation charges..don't know HOW MUCH :-(
Is TukTuk service authorized by STA / RTA to charge 50/- for 3 Kms... that's almost 3 times of the approved fare rate ??
Can anyone tell me how to call a Pink Auto in Gurgaon ? Is it available on stand or can one call for it ?