Jan. 23: Riding his Avenger to work through the congested streets of central Calcutta, Raghav Randar used to wonder what it would be like for a stranded commuter to have the option of hiring a taxi that could scoot past snarls.
The idea revving in his head has turned his passion for motorbikes into a potentially successful business.
Raghav Randar is the brain behind One Man Taxi, an app-based two-wheeler taxi service launching in New Town-Rajarhat next month.
"I always prefer to be on a motorbike rather than a car," said Randar, whose Avenger is his daily transport between home and his office on Ganesh Chandra Avenue.
Besides his love of motorbikes - he owns three - what makes the 20-something entrepreneur recommend them to anyone commuting alone is manoeuvrability. Randar believes that in a city where snarls are common, a two-wheeler could even become the preferred mode of public transport.
One Man Taxi is the child of his conviction that Calcutta will love the idea of a bike-taxi that can be booked like an app cab. "The bike-taxi will provide a much-needed commute option in the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) area. It will provide last-mile connectivity and take you from place A to B without hassles," said Randar.
Randar is a responsible biker. Not for him the adrenaline rush of super bikes and insane speeds. He is happy to cruise at a comfortable 60kmph, whether riding to Mandarmani or Maithon. He expects the bikers on his payroll to stick to the speed limit while ferrying commuters to their destinations.
"Bike-taxis work all over the world - in Bangkok, Vietnam, parts of Russia, the US. Why not here?" said Randar, who did his schooling in Rajasthan and graduated in commerce from Bhawanipur College.
"About 74 per cent of the vehicles on Indian roads are bikes. So why not have bike-taxis? Besides, about 35 per cent of the four-wheeler taxis are occupied by one passenger," said Randar, pointing out that bike-taxis would not only be cheaper but also cause less pollution than four-wheelers.
The minimum fare for One Man Taxi would be Rs 20 for the first 2km. Thereafter, the passenger would be charged Rs 5 for every kilometre and a waiting charge of one paisa per second. "Bike-taxis would be nearly 50 per cent cheaper than other app cabs," said Randar, whose Avenger has a CBR 250 and a Pulsar for company.
Randar intends to have around 100 Bajaj Platina 100cc bikes in his fleet and 120 bikers. The One Man Taxi app will have the usual app-cab features such as a ride tracker, fare estimation and panic button. "Our bikers will be trained by Bajaj, with which we have an alliance. Once they are trained, they will be asked to apply for commercial motorbike licences," he said.
The bikers can be distinguished from others by their reflector jackets. Passengers will be provided clean helmets along with tissues and face wipes.
The One Man Taxi service will be open from 8am till 8pm. The licence granted by the transport department does not allow bike-taxis to ply beyond 8pm.
"We are hoping the time will be extended till 10pm," said Randar, who also aims to expand his area of operation to the entire city in six months.
One Man Taxi currently has the licence to travel up to 5km beyond the NKDA area, provided the customer has been picked up from within that zone.
