Shillong May 07: Rapido Bike has launched its operations to provide transport services to commuters in congested Shillong city and help them navigate through traffic snarls quickly and reach their respective destination on time.

Suman Acharjee, city head Shillong flagged off the Bike taxi service.

This Bengaluru-based organisation offers a novel take on an age-old concept of transportation by replacing the conventional four-wheeler taxis with bikes.

The organisation wants to tackle issues that commuters face due to heavy traffic conditions, especially during the morning rush hours. It offers commuters alternative option of traveling by bike instead of a car or public transport to navigate through traffic snarls quickly and reach your destination on time.

Rapido is currently offering introductory rates of Rs 29 per 4 KM. It aims to simplify commuting for citizens and enabling them to navigate the small roads and traffic snarls conveniently.

The app can be easily downloaded from the play store in an Android or IOS phone. One can book the Bike taxi by entering pick up and drop locations.

A rider, also known as a Rapido ‘Captain’ will come and pick you up from their location and drop them off at your desired destination.

Acharjee said that the Rapido concept is based around providing economical, convenient and high-quality transport facilities for solo commuters, especially those who need to travel far or have to get somewhere quickly.

“It can be someone who’s late for an exam or needs to get to a hospital for an appointment or in the event of an emergency. In such cases, a bike is invariably faster than a car or a bus. However, not everyone might have a bike or know how to ride one. That’s where Rapido comes into the picture,” he said.

India’s largest Bike taxi service, Rapido is now operational across 40 cities. The main aim of Rapido is to provide economical, cost-effective, fuel-efficient and time-saving transport.

The company also issues shower caps and helmets to all its Captains and customers and puts great emphasis on road safety rules and regulations.

People can sign up as Captains and earn a decent living. Apart from this, Rapido also stresses on the employment opportunities for people. To be a Rapido Captain, all you should have- a two-wheeler, an android phone, and a legal driving license. They can sign up as Captains by Downloading “Rapido Captain” app from Play store and earn a decent living. Captains will also get free Insurance worth Rs. 500000. Rapido offers its Captains a part of the cost of the ride, along with many other benefits.

The organization has around 5,00,000 Captains in the country, including women.