Ola global expansion gathers pace in Australia and New Zealand
Updated: Dec 19, 2019
Ola, India’s leading mobility platform and one of the world’s fasted growing ride-sharing companies, is set to launch in 11 new locations each in Australia and New Zealand, taking its total presence across 33 cities in the region.
Ola began its international foray last year with Australia being the first country to launch. Within a span of a few months, Ola expanded its services to the UK and then New Zealand in quick succession. Recently, Ola was granted a Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) license by Transport for London (TfL) and is subsequently starting to onboard drivers ahead of launching its service in London.
With over 85,000 New Zealand and Australian driver-partners signed up, Ola is the fastest growing ridesharing firm in the region. The company aims to double its numbers and size by 2021.
Australia and New Zealand are seen as key markets for Ola, where a majority of the population living in metropolitan cities is dependent on ride-sharing services.
Ola has differentiated itself by focusing on driver benefits and by charging industry-low commission rates of 15% in Australia and 18% in New Zealand. The firm says that the presence of a large number of cars has improved the customer-booking experience by decreasing the average wait-times, and making rides available quicker than before. Drivers have served well over 160 million kilometres with Ola across Australia and New Zealand since launch last year.
Simon Smith, Head of International, Ola, said: “We have seen a phenomenal response to our services across Australia and New Zealand since our launch in February last year. Ola’s competitive edge lies in offering better value fares to customers and a better deal for drivers, who earn more from every ride, and bringing industry-leading safety-tech innovations to the local market.
“Today, Ola leads the global rideshare industry by enabling higher driver earnings, demonstrating our driver-focused approach to mobility. We are excited to increase our presence in the region, while remaining committed to the development of pioneering technology and category innovations, as we build a safe, reliable and inclusive mobility platform for the world.”
Image credit: Ola
