V-Link launches 50 cabs in city
March 30, 2007 5:41 PM
Second fleet taxi operator to start service with Meru's from April 1
Fleet taxi operator V-Link Taxis Pvt. Ltd has launched 50 of its
metered cabs, Meru, in the city. V-Link will be starting operations from
April 1 and plans to increase its fleet to 150 by April end.
Targeting the corporate class, business and foreign
travelers all Merus are air conditioned, fitted with tamper-proof
digital meters and electronic printers and GPS based tracking system to
enable real-time taxi location and dispatch. For complete passenger
comfort the operator promises to provide basic amenities like city
maps, wet wipes, bottled water and for music lovers a limited
collection of CDs.
We strongly feel that a city like Mumbai needs a
significant upgrade in terms of infrastructure. So, along with the
state government, we are helping Mumbai to introduce a cab service to
upgrade the quality of urban transport and also contribute to uplift of
the community of chauffeurs who will be engaged in these operations"
said Neeraj Gupta, Managing Director, the second fleet taxi operator in
the city.
Olive green Merus run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at
a flag down charge of Rs 15 and Rs 13 per additional kilometer. V-Link
has launched its fleet with Maruti Esteems and will add other premium
brands as it increases its fleet.
Initially, the cabs will be available only on bookings as
the fleet is small in number but as the number increases the
passengers can hail a cab on the curbs too. Services like
"dial-a-Meru", "SMS-a-Meru" and "Meru-on-the-net" will also be
available shortly. V-Link plans to reach 150 cabs by the end of April an
d seeks to further increase 1,000 by year end.
When asked how the company plans to cope with the stiff
opposition from the conventional black and yellow taxis Anjan Deb,
chief operating officer, responded, "Our service is for the corporate
segment and business travelers, who seek total comfort in traveling."
The cabbies are on a pay roll of the company, who will be
availing additional benefits including accidental insurance, medical
insurance, etc. "A team of chauffeurs has been selected who fit the
stringent recruitment standards of the company," Deb said. Deb also
accepted that acquiring permits is an issue and said, "We should be
able to get more permits of the existing one."