Bengaluru-based ride-hailing app Namma Yatri, backed by the Autorickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU), to start charging a subscription fee from drivers starting from September 1.
Namma Yatri said that the drivers will have two options, which includes that the driver can either pay Rs. 25 for unlimited number of trips per day with the first ride free or pay Rs. 3.50 per ride, with no charges after 10 rides.
The subscription fee will be used to cover the costs incurred by Namma Yatri, such as engineering, R&D, marketing, and maps. The company plans to eventually move to open applications to reduce costs.
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Over 35,000 drivers have already opted for the subscription plan, with nearly 7,500 completing the subscription process organically, said the company.
Launched in 2022, Namma Yatri was developed in partnership with Bengaluru’s auto drivers by Juspay Technologies and backed by Nandan Nilekani’s Beckn Foundation includes over 89,000 drivers and over 17 lakh customers. It operated as an open platform, logging approximately 90,000 daily trips and over 79 lakh trips in the last 9 months.
“The subscription model enables our continued service to drivers and facilitates future welfare programs for drivers. Within a week of launching these plans, over 35,000 drivers have opted-in, with 7,500 completing the subscription process organically. Official fee collection begins on Sep 1, 2023, with NY committed to maintaining this fee structure for one year and actively exploring further price reductions in the future,” said Shan MS, Chief Growth Officer of Juspay.