Indian ride-hailing company Ola announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Assam to pilot test an app-based river taxi service in the financial hub of the Northeast, Guwahati.

The MoU was signed at the Global Investors Summit: Advantage Assam, which currently on going in Guwahati and was in the presence of Minister for Transport Industry and Commerce, Chandra Mohan Patowary, and the Vice-President of Operations at Ola, Vijay Ghadge.

“Convenience and safety of the commuters are paramount to us. Our aim is to stand out as a reliable choice of transportation for the country. Our intent is reflected in all our partnerships with various state governments across transportation and tourism. As a part of this endeavour, we are delighted to partner and work with the Government of Assam to enhance and empower the local transportation infrastructure,” Vijay Ghadge said.

Ola was launched in Assam in 2014. According to the MOU, the addition of the water taxis, which is a key local mode of transport, to the online platform, will further strengthen the transportation ecosystem in the state. The river taxis will be machine operated boats, which will be far safer and faster than the traditional ones. Ola will pilot test these taxis on the Lachit Ghat, Manchkowa to North Guwahati route. These high speed taxis are expected to bring down the travel time to 2-5 minutes from the 45 minutes it takes via road. The app based booking system will help in streamlining the demand as well as enabling advance booking and cashless payments of fees, thereby providing a convenient commuting experience as well as giving a push to the local transportation system and economy.

“Assam has a very unique transportation landscape where water transport plays an important role in cities such as Guwahati. Ola has played a key role in streamlining road transport over the last few years in the state. This time around, we are thrilled to extend the partnership with Ola to pilot app-based water taxis in the capital city. We are certain that bringing a localised mode of commute on an app platform will enable convenient transportation for citizens and tourists alike, and we look forward to more such collaborations with Ola,” Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister for Transport Industry and Commerce said.

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