Yatri Sathi makes commute on road easier and safer for flyers
Times of India | 25 November 2024
123 Kolkata: Booking a yellow taxi from the Kolkata airport is now easier and safer. Passengers coming out of the airport can directly receive the car's registration number alongside the phone number of the taxi driver on their smartphones when they book a car on Yatri Sathi, similar to how they receive booking details of other popular app cabs.
Previously, a passenger would only receive an OTP and had to go to a booking kiosk managed by Bidhannagar Police, where a taxi driver would approach them, asking if they booked an AC or non-AC taxi, and then take the passenger for a ride once they shared the OTP.IPL 2025 mega auctionIPL Auction 2025 Live: KKR break bank for Venkatesh Iyer, Ashwin returns to CSKIPL 2025 Auction LIVE: Updated Full Team SquadsIPL Auction 2025: Who got whom
"I have always preferred Yatri Sathi cabs over other app cabs because of their competitive rates. But hailing the taxi was a bit inconvenient as I had to stand in a queue at the booking kiosk even after the taxi was booked, waiting for my turn and a driver to choose me. It was frustrating," said Dwaipayan Roy, a frequent flyer and Behala resident.
Another frequent flyer, Subhasree Majumdar, said Yatri Sathi cabs are now much safer as the driver details are available to the passengers. "Previously, I used to be at the mercy of the driver, and all I had was an OTP. If the driver misbehaved, or if I lost something, I couldn't lodge a complaint. But now the process is much more seamless," said Majumdar, a Jadavpur resident.
Incidentally, the airport has always received poor feedback in the airport service quality surveys in recent times over the availability of transportation options near the airport premises and car parking infrastructure as key areas of discontent for passengers. Airport officials said they were trying to mitigate this with the introduction of more cab options as well as strengthening the currently available choices.
According to a current estimate, there are around 1,200 to 1,300 bookings of Yatri Sathi cabs from the airport. Out of this, at least 40% of bookings are for air-conditioned cabs, and their numbers are increasing daily. Uber has around 2,200 bookings, Ola has around 700 and Snap E has around 600 bookings, officials said.
Yatri Sathi cabs replaced prepaid taxis in the city, and hence the fares were always kept lower than other app cabs. But from Aug this year, passengers booking AC Yatri Sathi cabs are being charged Rs 70 extra as a parking fee.
"The changes are being implemented by the company managing the ride. They initially operated from police kiosks. But now, Yatri Sathi cabs will be operational by their own employees from their own kiosks at the airport," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar city police
Kolkata: Booking a yellow taxi from the Kolkata airport is now easier and safer. Passengers coming out of the airport can directly receive the car's registration number alongside the phone number of the taxi driver on their smartphones when they book a car on Yatri Sathi, similar to how they receive booking details of other popular app cabs.
Previously, a passenger would only receive an OTP and had to go to a booking kiosk managed by Bidhannagar Police, where a taxi driver would approach them, asking if they booked an AC or non-AC taxi, and then take the passenger for a ride once they shared the OTP.
"I have always preferred Yatri Sathi cabs over other app cabs because of their competitive rates. But hailing the taxi was a bit inconvenient as I had to stand in a queue at the booking kiosk even after the taxi was booked, waiting for my turn and a driver to choose me. It was frustrating," said Dwaipayan Roy, a frequent flyer and Behala resident.
Another frequent flyer, Subhasree Majumdar, said Yatri Sathi cabs are now much safer as the driver details are available to the passengers. "Previously, I used to be at the mercy of the driver, and all I had was an OTP. If the driver misbehaved, or if I lost something, I couldn't lodge a complaint. But now the process is much more seamless," said Majumdar, a Jadavpur resident.
Incidentally, the airport has always received poor feedback in the airport service quality surveys in recent times over the availability of transportation options near the airport premises and car parking infrastructure as key areas of discontent for passengers. Airport officials said they were trying to mitigate this with the introduction of more cab options as well as strengthening the currently available choices.
According to a current estimate, there are around 1,200 to 1,300 bookings of Yatri Sathi cabs from the airport. Out of this, at least 40% of bookings are for air-conditioned cabs, and their numbers are increasing daily. Uber has around 2,200 bookings, Ola has around 700 and Snap E has around 600 bookings, officials said.
Yatri Sathi cabs replaced prepaid taxis in the city, and hence the fares were always kept lower than other app cabs. But from Aug this year, passengers booking AC Yatri Sathi cabs are being charged Rs 70 extra as a parking fee.
"The changes are being implemented by the company managing the ride. They initially operated from police kiosks. But now, Yatri Sathi cabs will be operational by their own employees from their own kiosks at the airport," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar city police