Meru Cabs to deploy 1,000 new cars in Delhi

Meru Cabs, the country's largest radio taxi operator, will put 1,000 new 'sedan' class cars on Delhi roads by this year end to cope with increasing passenger demand in the national capital and its adjoining satellite townships.
"Keeping in mind the increase in passenger numbers and demand for cabs, we have decided to enhance our fleet by 1,000 new sedan class cars by this year end. At present, we have more than 1,300 cabs in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR)," Meru Cabs CEO Siddhartha Pahwa told PTI.
"We are evaluating the new cars in the 'sedan' class. We will choose the (car) brand and the model based on our analysis and customer feedback," he said.

Pahwa said the cab service has also introduced a unique GPRS-based 'trip tracker' service in its existing car fleet for women passengers who travel alone in NCR.
"Under this new initiative, a passenger can provide a mobile number to our call centre or portal when the person books a cab. We will be send a text message every 15 minutes about the exact location of the female passenger and the car. Our satellite-based system keeps regular track of the moving cab," he said.
The cab service is also planning to launch a smartphone based application, which once downloaded, would enable the passenger to raise an alarm about any misdemeanour by the driver. Both the control room and the registered cellphone number of a family member would get a flash if there is any such incident.

"In all the four cities that we operate in, women's safety is our prime concern. Hence, we keep on innovating to ensure their well being," Pahwa said.

The cab service has also begun an 'assured cab facility' to the passengers of the national capital when they are travelling to the airport or railway station.
"If we are not able to provide a cab to these destinations then we also have a scheme to present a Rs 500 gift voucher to the passenger," he said.
Pahwa said the recent hike in taxi and auto fares in the national capital was necessary as input costs in running a cab service have gone up.

Meru has radio taxi operations in NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad. According to various estimates, there are about 3,500-4,000 cabs running in Delhi and additional 1,000-1,500 economical cars in this segment.