Unstoppable

RAPIDO HAS MADE THE BIKE-TAXI MARKET ITS OWN EVEN AS GOVERNMENTS AND UNIONS TRY TO BRING IT DOWN, AND AS COMPETITION INTENSIFIES. BUT SUSTAINING GROWTH WON’T BE EASY IN THE FUTURE

- BINU PAUL AND RACHNA DHANRAJANI

 

IF YOU’RE ONE of the millions of IPL fans relishing the high-octane excitement of the cricket tournament on JioCinema, chances are you’ve seen Rapido’s ‘Bike Wali Taxi Sabse Saxi (bike-taxis are the best)’ advertising blitz. One of the ads features a young woman ditching a dreadfully crowded bus in favour of the nimble two-wheeler taxi service that arrives in moments. The underlying message is clear—bike-taxis are affordable, convenient and safe.

“But which city are they advertising it for?” asks a senior executive at the bike-taxi vertical of one of the leading cab aggregators, who wishes to remain anonymous. “In Delhi and Maharashtra, they are banned. In Bengaluru and many other cities, they are a risk because auto unions wouldn’t let their riders operate.”

The ad campaign has been launched amidst a challenging time for bike-taxi service providers, even as they confront bans in important markets like Delhi and Maharashtra, and encounter significant operational challenges in several other states, such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. “But they don’t care,” says the executive. “They will continue to operate until cops show up at their doors. Then they may take a pause, but will resume in no time. That’s been their strategy.”