App buses have started plying in the city, aiming to replicate the success of app cabs.

First off the bus-aggregator block in Calcutta are three youngsters who have launched an Android app, goHop, that allows users to book seats on Wi-fi-enabled minibuses that can be tracked on a map in realtime.

The service currently has many limitations. For instance, only about a dozen vehicles have signed up with goHop and they ply on just three routes, that too on weekdays. But the trio behind the app promise to scale up the service quickly and point to the advantages: guaranteed seat, no waiting at bus stops, a more economical commute than a cab ride and no haggling over change. 

“We will start operating on 50 routes in the next eight months,” said Harshit Gohil, a St. Xavier’s College commerce graduate, who has started goHop along with computer students Abhirup Kar from Institute of Engineering & Management, Salt Lake, and Sanjit Roy from BP Poddar Institute of Management and Technology. 

Gohil, in his 20s, had pitched the idea of an app-bus service at an IIM Calcutta event in July, where the other two came on board and mentors chiselled the plan into shape.

The service — backed by Rohan Ganeriwala and Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founders of start-ups Roads and Collegify, and Raghav Poddar, director of The Jorehaut Tea Ltd — launched on November 30 with the name Hoppr. It has since been renamed goHop to avoid confusion with another company named Hoppr. 

Users have to download and install the goHop app, and key in the pick-up point and destination to get details of the vehicles, including model, registration number, driver’s name, available seats and ETA. Three types of vehicles — 26-seater Force Travellers, 14-seater Wingers and six-seater Mahindra Boleros — currently ply between Technopolis and Rashbehari Avenue (via Ruby), Technopolis and Ultadanga (via Karunamoyee) and Technopolis and Exide (via Topsia).

When a ride is confirmed, a commuter is informed about the pick-up and drop points and the conductor’s phone number. The commuter can time his departure for the pick-up point by tracking the vehicle in realtime on a map in the app. The conductor calls the commuter if he is not at the pick-up point on time. 

The commuter can call the conductor for directions about the pick-up point. Tickets, priced between Rs 20 and Rs 50, can be cancelled for a charge of Rs 10. Payment is through a digital wallet or cash. The vehicles, available approximately from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, are AC and have Wi-fi access and water bottles. 

GoHop could be the first among many app-bus services in the city. The success of app-cabs like Uber and Ola has spawned app-bus start-ups in the Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Shuttl, ZipGo Limo, Cityflo, Trevo and rBus are some of the companies offering AC rides with free water, Wi-fi and even onboard meals in other cities. Ola, too, has jumped into the app-bus fray. 

With no fixed destination, the routes of app buses depend on demand. They are becoming popular with office-goers. Ticket prices typically range from Rs 20 to Rs 90. 

Bus aggregation has also caught on globally with Via plying in Manhattan, New York, and China’s largest cab aggregator Didi Kuaidi starting its bus shuttle service this year.

The city trio are trying to cash in on an opportunity. “Calcutta is the second largest urban transportation market and the third largest Indian city in terms of Internet users. But the public transport here is dismal so our idea caught on. Many told us to launch the service from Gurgaon, Bangalore or Pune but we wanted to do it in Calcutta,” said Gohil.

Like Uber, Hoppr is an asset-light company with all buses being hired from travel agencies. They also have personnel from security agencies doubling as conductors. “Many of the app-based buses in Gurgaon and other places don’t have conductors but we decided to have them on ours for safety, to help customers with the app, collect cash and hand over tickets,” said Kar.

“We want to be like Uber, a lean company running on technology. We have just seven to eight people in the company,” said Gohil. Apart from the trio, some interns from colleges run the show at goHop’s Rowland Road office.