Hyderabad Auto & Taxi Drivers Association Launches Ride-Hailing App Yarry On ONDC Protocol

The Hyderabad Auto and Taxi Drivers Association has launched a ride-hailing app, Yaary, which is built on the Open Network for Digital Commerce’s (ONDC) protocols, to take on the likes of Ola and Uber. 

The association has already onboarded more than 20,000 auto and taxi drivers on Yaary and aims to launch similar mobility apps across other cities through collaboration with other city associations of drivers, Moneycontrol reported Yarry as saying in a statement.

Similar to Bengaluru’s Namma Yatri, ONDC-backed Yaary also promises to not levy any commission for drivers on its platform, the publication reported.

“It (Yaary) has been developed with the core belief that the drivers who power the ride-hailing ecosystem deserve the utmost respect, support, and fair compensation. The platform is designed to prioritise the welfare of drivers, ultimately providing top-tier experience & reliability to passengers,” Yaary cofounder and CEO Hari Prasadh was cited as saying. 

Founded by Prasadh, Madhan Balasubramanian and Paritosh Verma, Yaary has been developed to the standards specified by ONDC. 

ONDC CEO and MD T Koshy said that Yaary will be  a highly cost-effective and rewarding service for both service providers and customers in Hyderabad. 

The development comes months after ONDC was reported to be preparing for the full launch of its cab-hailing pilot programme in Kolkata, in partnership with the West Bengal government’s Yatri Sathi app, as it has received a good response.

Prior to that, the network onboarded the Bengaluru-based auto-rickshaw booking app Namma Yatri. However, Bengaluru’s Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union has now reportedly severed its ties with Namma Yatri.

The development comes at a time when the ride-hailing space in the country is seeing increasing competition. Recently, bike and auto hailing app Rapido launched a cab booking service to take on Ola and Uber. 

However, there is also a lot of dissatisfaction among drivers over the high commissions charged by the app aggregators. On the other hand, riders often face issues of cancellations by drivers. This has resulted in multiple unions of drivers and state governments launching or planning to launch new apps.

Last week, Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy said the state government plans to launch a ride-hailing app to take on Ola and Uber.