Piyush Surana, business head - East, Ola, spoke to The Telegraph on everything from the luxe factor to safety of passengers in Ola cabs and autos:

♦ What kind of service does Ola offer in Patna at present?

Ola's range of mobility offerings extends across different price points and use cases, from the. ultra affordable Ola Micro, flagship Ola to premium experience-driven Ola Sedan. Ola Autos serve the mobility needs of millions of users every day in the city.

♦ Why autorickshaws? Any other city where Ola runs autorickshaws?

The conventional process of hailing an autorickshaw is very cumbersome. With autos now available on Ola App, users can request a ride from their doorstep within minutes. Ola Autos gives customers a consistent, standardised experience every time. Moreover, it is all about easy availability, so we're ensuring that availability is transparent and made efficient using technology. Ola Autos is available 24x7 in Patna at Rs 5/km and an ETA of less than 5 minutes. We have over 1,00,000 auto rickshaws registered on our platform across 24 cities and plans to launch in more cities in the coming months.

♦ What are the safety features with Ola App?

Ola platform offers a host of features like live GPS tracking, sharing of ride details, feedback and reporting during the ride, including an in-app SOS button. To use the SOS feature, users need to enter their emergency contact's name, number and email ID. The SOS feature can be used while the ride is in progress and on activation an alert is sent to the verified emergency contact. The details sent to the emergency contact include user's name, email id and contact number, location where the alert was raised, cab and driver details.

♦ How has the response been to Ola in Patna so far?

Customers and drivers have shown tremendous zeal for Ola. Our customers can now have access to a convenient, hassle-free and pocket-friendly commute within minutes of tapping the Ola app. Drivers have seen their income grow by 40 per cent. Our newest category, Ola Micro, has broken all growth records to become the fastest growing category on our platform and the industry. Given its attractive pricing, Micro has seen immense uptake here and in other tier-2 and tier-3 towns. Micro is making AC cab rides affordable for thousands of citizens.

♦ Any plans vis-à-vis Ola elsewhere in Bihar?

Ola is growing rapidly as the preferred mode of commute for customers in Bihar. We will work towards ensuring more people use Ola and innovate mobility options to meet unique needs of customers here. For its driver-partners, Ola will continue to focus on building and nurturing the ecosystem for its driver-entrepreneurs and to enable more drivers to grow as entrepreneurs themselves.