inDriver, an international online ride-hailing service headquartered in Mountain View and used by 47-million people across more than 300 cities, today becomes available to residents of Phuket. inDriver users can independently set the price for their trip, while drivers can choose the most profitable and convenient orders.
The app’s Real Time Deals model combats algorithms used by other ride-hailing companies, which rack up prices because of peak hours, traffic and request history.
inDriver allows passengers to set their own fare for their chosen route. Nearby drivers who receive notice of ride requests have three choices – accept the fare offered, ignore the offer or bargain for a higher price.
Phuket is the third city in Thailand where inDriver was launched. inDriver is available in Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. inDriver has already connected more than 600 drivers in Phuket, and dozens of new drivers are being registered daily. At the initial stage after the start, inDriver will recommend prices in the app to make passengers feel more comfortable to choose the price, inDriver’s minimum price will be 230 THB.
A unique feature of inDriver is that drivers are not automatically assigned to riders. Once the counteroffers are in, passengers select the most suitable driver in line with what categories are most important to them – fare, driver rating, estimated time of arrival or vehicle model.
inDriver has the option to make the rides safer. Passengers can share their GPS location and ride details in real time from the app with trusted contacts.
Travelling with inDriver can be done throughout Phuket’s city borders and the nearest suburbs. Currently, one can pay for the ride only in cash, which allows to further reduce the cost of the trip, as when paying by card, the bank charges an additional commission.
In recent days inDriver has been working in Phuket in test mode to collect first feedback. This week showed that prices became more attractive for passengers. Passengers using the app pay on average 20% less than with other services. For example, for a ride from Central Festival Phuket to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary with inDriver, users paid just 254 THB, from Patong Beach to Promthep Cape for 553 THB.
