BackOla shutting TaxiForSure as independent brand in 22 cities
TaxiForSure to be available in the biggest marketsthe four metros and Bengaluruand some smaller cities
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Hyderabad/Bengaluru: India’s largest cab hailing service Ola is shutting its TaxiForSure unit’s services in as many as 22 cities, including Kochi, Jamshedpur and Mangalore, barely five months after buying its smaller rival for $200 million.
For now, TaxiForSure will still be available in the biggest markets—the four metros and Bengaluru—and a few other smaller cities. Ola has announced plans to make TaxiForSure cabs available on its mobile app in these markets.
“Your TaxiForSure account will be transferred to Ola. Everything remains the same, just the app changes," TaxiForSure said in a post on its website on Monday. “If you’ve added money to your TFS (TaxiForSure) credits, it will be transferred back to your bank account. If you have promotional TFS Credits in your account, you’ll find the same amount in your Ola Money. However, your Paytm wallet remains untouched. This is a new opportunity for us to set new goals and achieve bigger things."
Mint reported on 26 June that Ola, run by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd, may consider shutting down TaxiForSure as an independent brand after the company said it will allow users to book TaxiForSure cabs on its app.
Already, all of TaxiForSure’s product and engineering employees have been moved to Ola. After the deal, the entire TaxiForSure senior management, including co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Raghunandan G., quit one after another. The latest to leave was chief executive officer Arvind Singhal, in July.
TaxiForSure and Ola didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment.
Ola, which is in advanced talks to raise at least $500 million, bought TaxiForSure to increase its lead over rival Uber Technologies Inc by boosting supply.
The cities where TaxiForSure won’t be available are Ambala, Bhavnagar, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Hubli-Dharwad, Jabalpur, Jamnagar, Jamshedpur, Kochi, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Sholapur, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Ujjain, Varanasi, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
“TaxiForSure continues to operate as an independent brand in the top 30 cities with a strong focus on building the most economical brand in personal transportation. The consolidation of TaxiForSure into the Ola app in the next 22 cities (the city) is designed to ensure a seamless experience for consumers, straight from the Ola app. We have ensured a smooth transition for driver and operator partners from the TFS platform to Ola’s in terms of technology and training to ensure that nothing changes for customers in these cities," Ola said in a statement.
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