Yatri Mitra App: Mumbai Autorickshaw Operators' Union To Launch Ride-Hailing Service

Similar to Bengaluru’s Namma Yatri app, a Mumbai-based transport union is preparing to launch its own ride-hailing platform for autorickshaws. The mobile app, named "Yatri Mitra", is currently undergoing a beta testing phase. Commuters will be able to schedule rides and pay according to the meter reading once it goes live.

The new ride-hailing app for autos that has been proposed by the Seva Sarathi Autorickshaw Taxi and Transport Union is likely to be launched on July 15, according to a Hindustan Times report.

According to the union members and app developers, commuters will be able to use the app to book trips and pay based on the reading on electronic meters, the report added.

The Yatri Mitra app is being developed by Metazen Labs Pvt., which has previously created apps for Rotary International, Thane Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Port Trust, among others.

Nearly 1,000 drivers of Seva Sarathi Autorickshaw Taxi and Transport Union and the unaffiliated members will be able to register using the Yatri Mitra app, the report added.

The service will be introduced in Thane and Mumbai in the first phase. Subsequently, the union will expand it to other areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). At least 10,000 vehicles are expected to be enrolled initially, once the app is launched.

Passengers can pay via cash or UPI, and they will be taxed based on the meter, Metazen Labs director Narendra Rao said, as per the report.

Rao further stated that drivers who use the Yatri Mitra app would receive personal accident insurance coverage, and drivers who regularly use the app would just need to pay a minimal daily cost of Rs 25.

According to data from the Maharashtra state transport department, there are 5,55,986 autorickshaws in the MMR and 2,51,461 in Mumbai. Drivers pay a hefty commission to aggregators like Uber and Ola, which are dependent on their revenues.