HYDERABAD: We all know that shared mobility is not a new concept in the city, though it was limited only to micro-networks of friends and peers and now this feature has been launched in metro too.

To further ensure affordable, safe and first and last-mile connectivity, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) is now encouraging car and bike pooling for its daily commuters.

HMRL collaborated with online bus ticketing platform Redbus to introduce ‘rPool’, a new feature on the RedBus mobile app.

Commuters who are interested can now download the Redbus app and register themselves for the service. The registration process will require the user to be verified through their official email ID or any government-approved identification.

Users can create a ride with their source, destination, date and time. Those offering a ride will have to share details of vehicle and route plan in order to find matching riders, invite them, confirm the ride and travel.

According to reports, the rates of rides are also very affordable which will be Re 1 to Rs 5 per km for cars and Re 1 to Rs 4 per km for bikes. A ride giver can offer a maximum of only four rides a day.

The managing director of HMRL, NVS Reddy also spoke about the new feature and said that the car and bike pooling is one way to reduce vehicles on roads which will reduce the traffic congestion and pollution in the city.

Speaking at the launch, Prakash Sangham, CEO, RedBus said to a daily that RedBus will not charge any commission from the users as an introductory offer. According to him, a passenger will have to make advance payment through the app and the rider will be compensated after completion of the ride. Payments will be entirely through the online mode, he added.

He also said that both the rider and the passengers will get insurance during the ride free of cost. The call masking feature is enabled to ensure the rider’s and the passenger’s privacy. An in-app chat is also available for communication, he added.

RedBus through its kiosks at metro stations will distribute 1000 smart metro cards to initial users at the cost of Rs 75 on a first come, first serve basis.

rPool zones are set up at around 16 metro stations across Hyderabad as of today with dedicated parking space for those offering rides. The stations with rpool zones are Raidurg, Hitec City, DurgamCheruvu, Jubilee Hills checkpost, Ameerpet, Miyapur, JNTU, KPHB colony, Kukatpally, Nagole, Uppal, Tarnaka, Parade grounds, Rasoolpura, Irrum Manzil and LB Nagar.

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