Tootle, A Ride-sharing Startup Hits the Road in Kathmandu – Are You Ready to Tootle?

There are days when we spend 24 hours in comfort of our home and days when the places we go are within walking distances. This is not about those perfect days. This is about those days when you are going to a get-together, a meeting, a class or the office with good positive vibes or returning with equally good positive vibes but the public transport makes you wait half an hour for a packed bus and kills the mood.

We all have faced such days when travelling becomes a burden and we’d rather just stay at home. Like all of us, the makers of Tootle felt the same but unlike most of us they came up with a solution.

Say ‘Hi!’ to Tootle. An app that connects you with people going your way. You get a ride without the crowd of a public bus and without the expensive rates of a taxi.

“Not a driver with a ride, but your friend with a bike.”

How it works

First, you download the app, then you signup and login; you pick your location and destination; the app draws a route and shows you the available drivers nearby; the bikers will call and pick you up; you then pay the bikers from your wallet or from the app after you reach your destination.

The app also has a cancel feature in case you change your mind. Each ride will have a unique rider code which you need to give to your rider after he/she drops you off.

As for the Bikers, you’ll need to download the Tootle Partner app. You will have to accept the client first before giving him/her a ride. You will be paid after you drop him/her off through cash of Tootle Wallet.

You will get a free Tootle balance of Rs. 500 for every signup. A Tootle partner gets Rs. 200.

Safety issues

Put bluntly, this app involves taking rides from random strangers with a bike. It involves giving rides to random pedestrians. So, of course, there are many issues regarding safety. This app has the following safety features:

• All bikers must have their license checked by Tootle.
• Clients can rate their riders. If the rating is poor, Tootle calls up to ask their experience.
• Clients can choose the preferred gender of bikers.
• An automatic SMS with the information of the biker and the route of the client is generated after each booking.

Also See: With Over 500 Products, Cheers Provides an Online Solution to Liquor Delivery in Nepal

Idea

The team at Tootle started by researching on location-based application with the idea of tracking Sajha buses. They wanted to enable clients to see the timing of the buses and be at the bus-stops accordingly. However, their idea pivoted and they worked on an entirely different app.

The team has been working on this app for more than a year and it has been a very challenging task remarks Sixit Bhatta, Co-founder of Tootle.

“There are a lot of problems as the concept is new. Indulging people to adopt a new behavior of giving and taking rides to other people is something we are still learning to do. There are also many technological challenges that we are trying to address. Nevertheless, we are working on small milestones and gearing up for big ones.”

– Sixit Bhatta, Co-founder of Tootle

My take

Taking into account the problems in public transport in Nepal, if this app can address the issue of trust between clients and bikers, Tootle shows a lot of promise.

The team of TechLekh wishes them all the best. Happy Tootling.

Visit Tootle website | Download Tootle Android App

Edited by Awale Sushil.