AAP government to push mobile app 'Poocho' to book taxis and autos; to compete with Ola, Uber

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party government is planning to push its mobile app ‘ Poocho’ as an option for commuters looking for auto and taxis. Speaking with ET, transport minister Gopal Rai said ‘Poocho’ mobile application for booking autos and taxis will be re-launched by the Delhi administration soon.

“We will bring all taxis and autos in Delhi on the mobile app so that commuters get more options and drivers get passengers. We will soon launch the Poocho app for this,” Rai said.

Currently, the app is available on playstore, but without the functionality of booking cabs and autos. It provides contact numbers of drivers nearby and numbers of their vehicles, too. However, bookings are not available. According to Rai, apart from providing options to commuters, the reason the Delhi government wants to push this app as a platform for booking taxis and autos is due to the concern for environment and “sending a message that we are in favour of technology.”

This was also meant directly for app-based aggregators such as Uber and Ola, among others, who Rai said were behaving “stubbornly” and operating diesel vehicles despite strictures from courts. “The manner in which they (app-based companies) are operating diesel vehicles under the garb of technology, only adds to pollution. They are behaving stubbornly by utilising technology, but despite us going to courts, they aren’t following the CNG orders. Through this app, we are giving commuters an environment-friendly and parallel alternative, because all autos and taxis in Delhi run on CNG.”

The Cabinet minister said, the government plans to have about 50,000 auto and taxi drivers in the ‘Poocho’ app database. Commuters will be able to book their nearest vehicles through GPS. “When it was launched last year, Poocho had limited options.

It was mostly useful as an app for getting information about buses. But we are redoing it now keeping in mind auto and taxi commuters. Talks with unions have been successful and we are updating numbers of drivers now,” Rai said. The app has been developed by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd, which is a joint venture between the Delhi government and IDFC Foundation.

“This app gives a level playing field to those drivers who are not on other platforms and to commuters, it gives information real time about vehicles nearby. Not of those which are far and will come late. Here, you get details of the mobile number and vehicle number without making a booking,” said M Ramsekhar, executive director and joint CEO, DIMTS.