Now Reading: Sarjapur residents launch own carpooling app Society Rides
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Sarjapur residents launch own carpooling app Society Rides
Bengaluru: Residents of Sarjapur Road, tired of daily traffic jams, have launched their own carpooling app called Society Rides. The initiative, moved from WhatsApp groups to a dedicated platform, is run by…
Bengaluru: Residents of Sarjapur Road, tired of daily traffic jams, have launched their own carpooling app called Society Rides. The initiative, moved from WhatsApp groups to a dedicated platform, is run by the Sarjapur Residents’ Welfare Association (SRWA), representing over 125 apartment and villa communities. The app requires users to be verified through their apartment or villa before offering or seeking a ride.
The app, originally started by former army officer Abhijit Bhattacharjee in Delhi, was adopted by SRWA after previous carpooling efforts on WhatsApp failed with fewer than six active participants. It does not take a commission and suggests a nominal fare of Rs 3 per kilometre. Residents are also encouraged to use it for airport pickups after two recent incidents where women residents reported cab drivers demanding extra money mid-journey.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Sarjapur Road is among Bengaluru's worst-affected corridors, with the Dommasandra Circle flyover incomplete for five years and Metro connectivity years away. The SRWA's app bypasses the usual trust barrier by using apartment-level verification, a model that could be replicated by other neighbourhoods. The key number to watch is adoption: if active users cross a few hundred, it could pressure civic agencies and attract private operators. The real test is whether community trust scales beyond individual complexes.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
