Ola switched on its London service on Monday, with more than 25,000 drivers already registered on the platform. The Bengaluru-headquartered company said the city will be its 28th, after expansion into British cities such as Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.
The service is fully live from the start. Riders can pick from three classes: Comfort, Comfort XL and Exec. To mark the launch, passengers who sign up in the first week get ride vouchers worth up to GBP 25.
“We are thrilled to now be live in London,” said Simon Smith, Head of Ola International. “This is a major milestone for our business and represents the next step in our ambitions to connect people in cities throughout the country.” He added that Ola wants to give Londoners “a differentiated service” built on “quality, safety and reliability.”
Safety features
Safety is the company’s main pitch, and Ola says several of the tools are firsts for the UK. Its global feature, called Guardian, uses AI and machine learning to detect irregular vehicle activity automatically. A Start Code makes sure each rider and driver are correctly matched. Voice support runs around the clock for both riders and drivers. Drivers on the platform are capped at six penalty points.
Ola says it will keep working with Transport for London and other local authorities, drawing on global best practice.
Driver checks and pay
The company has lined up three partners: DriveTech, which is part of the AA, plus Mercer and Pearson. The aim is to lift driving skills and customer service. Every driver in London has passed the Versant spoken English test from Pearson, and each has also completed Ola’s Customer Service Test, which Mercer helped develop.
On pay, drivers who join pay no commission for their first six weeks. After that Ola promises “market-leading commission rates,” and says it will always give drivers the best rate available in each market so they keep more of what they earn.
The company said it will keep a “differentiated focus on drivers, safety and a collaborative approach with local authorities and regulators.”
Sources
- Ola officially launches services in London…
- Ola launches London operations, over 25,000 drivers sign up
