The firm sought road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari's intervention regarding a contract extension and licence fee payment but proved unsuccessful.To end passenger inconvenience due to lack of cab services at Nagpur railway station, the Central Railway is negotiating with Ola Cabs to recommence operations. This initiative comes after multiple parties displayed no interest in operating the cab services, despite the Nagpur division of Central Railway floating tenders twice to appoint a cab aggregator.
"We have invited Ola to operate seamless cab services either directly under the Central Railway or via e-auction. In 2019-2020, Ola service was operational but following the Covid-19 lockdown, the services were discontinued," said Aman Mittal, senior divisional commercial manager (SrDCM).
"There are certain impediments in Ola's entry as it necessitates opening an account with SBI. We are pursuing the company to establish an account and modalities are being finalized. Due to the absence of Ola's administrative office and subsequently its management in the city, the project is facing delays," Mittal explained.
Currently, passengers must either rely on the auto mafia operating the pre-paid auto service at the station, or walk 200-300 metres with luggage to secure a cab outside the station.
The last cab aggregator, Prisha Tours & Travels, Nagpur, which encountered numerous obstacles in providing seamless cab service from the station, ultimately ceased operations on October 17, 2024, as it struggled to remit licence fees due to substantial losses.
Despite securing the contract to operate Ola, Uber, and OV cabs from within the station for a year spanning November 17, 2023, to November 16, 2024, Prisha Tours services collapsed as Ola and Uber abstained from participating. The cab aggregator invested INR 12 lakh in this venture but earned only 10% of the money invested.
The firm sought road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari's intervention regarding a contract extension and licence fee payment but proved unsuccessful.
According to tender specifications, an area exceeding 146.40 metres was designated on the station's west side for five cabs to operate round-the-clock near the prepaid auto booth. However, the auto mafia thwarted the initiative and Central Railway officials allocated an unfavorable plot at the station's south end, despite the aggregator's payment of the initial instalment.
Mittal affirms, "Even if Ola joins, we shall offer the same plot on the station's southern end as redevelopment has reduced space at the west side."
Meanwhile, Deepak Sane, president of the App-based Taxi Union, Nagpur, which gave a representation to Gadkari last month, persuaded the minister to launch app-based ‘Orange Taxi Service' in the city. After Gadkari's intervention, RTO Kiran Bidkar has corresponded with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to ask for their perspective on the matter.
