Long-distance ‘car sharing’ to connect city with Bengaluru

CHENNAI: Amid the growing popularity of taxis for short trips, a new initiative launched in the city on Thursday, Cabus.in, tries to combine the best of travelling in a bus and in a personal car for long distance travel. Cabus.in is entering a space in which its competitors include Tripda andTaxiForSure, companies that offer car-pooling services for similar road travel breaks around the country.
A venture of Sooqle Logistic Solutions Pvt Ltd, Cabus eliminates the need to wait at a bus stop or a railway station and promises to save money and time with its vehicles picking you up at home. “Unlike any carpooling platform, Cabus.in operates just like a bus or train service. We are trying to create a new mode of travel that is affordable and operates from the doorstep,” said P R Meenakshi Sundaram, director (technology & marketing).
Companies in this segment are hoping to lure holiday and business travellers looking for cost-effectiveness, convenience and companionship on long-distance trips. Early starters are already operating on the Bangalore-Mysore-Ooty , Mumbai-Pune-Lonavala and Delhi-Agra routes.
Cabus.in now has 250 vehicles — which are not owned but attached. “We are asset-light and more of a technology-oriented company,” said R Ramaseshan, executive director. Four high-density routes have been chosen for now — Chennai-Bengaluru, Mumbai-Pune, Hyderabad-Vijayawada and Bengaluru-Kochi. “Commuters can choose from pre-determined time slots and cars will pick them up at the door,” said Ramaseshan.
The initiative was launched by professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, IIT Madras, C Velan, CEO, TRIL Infopark, K Govindarajan, partner, Polaris group, and Kollywood actor Jeyam Ravi.