Review: Pooch-O, An Auto-Rickshaw booking app in Delhi, India - Cover Story

Introduction

Imaging using your smartphone to hire an auto rickshaw in Delhi with a new App “Pooch-O” ,developed by Delhi Integrated Multi-Model Transit System (DIMTS) which will now allow commuters to locate/spot autos, fitted with GPS, nearest to them and can then call its driver, of whose numbers are registered with DIMTS, on their cellphone and book a trip.

Pooch-O app is currently available only Android phones   and thereafter, users have to ensure GPS on their device is on. The GPS then assists you to find out auto nearest to you through Maps. This app is surely going to change the way we travel in metro city like Delhi is especially useful to women.

Build

Built on android platform and real time GPS tracking that powers this app, booking auto through this app, commuters can share their travel details live on Facebook and Twitter so that their friends/ family members can get to know about their real-time locations. Interestingly there are some security elements in this app using which commuters can also give their feedbacks on their travel.

Other Features

Pooch-O users can also calculate estimated fare for their trip and can track the movement of the rickshaw especially the direction in which it is moving. This app will soon be available on iOS as well.

 An added feature of this service would with that a rickshaw registered to Pooch-o cannot refuse a travel the passengers. Traffic police will connect this app to its centralized website & their traffic apps so that if auto driver refuses commuters without any reason, strict action would be taken against them.

This app is also applicable to cluster buses (orange buses) which can now also be tracked about their locations on their smartphones through Pooch-O app. There are around 1100 cluster buses, fitted with GPS, plying in the national capital.

Using this app, there is also an option for bus commuters to the track bus location accurately and gets to know about its arrival time.

General Observations

Definitely an interesting app which is being downloaded rapidly from Android app-store. We at ReviewsToday believe that this is a new refreshing idea that is bound to change the way we travel in the city. The only challenge that we see is its penetration may just stick to big metro cities. Even in this city, half of the population does not use 3G, GPS enabled services yet and hence adaptability is lucid. If government can bring down data-plans and internet services rates, that will increase the internet penetration which in turn will bump up usability of apps like these which can be game changers.