The days of standing at the corner of a street and waiting for a rickshaw or taxi may soon be coming to an end.
On-demand transport can now be availed with a few swipes on a smart phone, thanks to ride-sharing services like Uber and Careem. Over the past few years, such services have made a big mark as they look to challenge the conventional taxi business.
In the cities where they operate, users can hail a ride from almost any corner or from the comfort of their own home. Careem does not operate in some areas of Karachi but is available in Islamabad and Lahore. Uber, on the other hand, is only available in Lahore and Karachi.
Let's take a look at both services and analyse some of their advantages and shortcomings.
Services and rentals
Currently, Uber offers two services to travellers: cars and rickshaws.
The rickshaw rides Uber offers are quite cheap, with a base fare of Rs35 and an additional charge of Rs3 per kilometre. If the rickshaw is made to wait, you may be charged an additional Rs1 per minute. The minimum charges are Rs50 and if the booking is cancelled the same amount has to be paid. In the car, the minimum cost is Rs100 while the charges for making the driver wait are Rs2 per minute. The variable fare stands at Rs9.38 per kilometer and the minimum charges are Rs150 which have to be paid even if the ride is cancelled.
Careem offers users four options: Go, Economy, Wifi Cars and Business.
For 'Go,' Careem charges at least Rs150 while the basic fare is Rs100. The variable fare stands at Rs11 per kilometre. For 'economy,' the minimum charges are Rs175, whereas for 'business' and 'wifi cars' the the minimum charge is Rs250.