In a bid to expand its market and hoping to gain a competitive edge in Iran’s saturated transportation sector, one of the country’s leading startups, Tap30 has introduced a real-time ride-sharing option that allows two passengers heading in the same direction to share a ride.
The second-most installed e-riding application in Iran has started offering a new service dubbed “Tap30 Line”, a service which makes it possible for a driver to pick up at most two passengers with approximately close destinations.
Tap30 is following the example set by international companies which are concerned about the declining car ownership statistics, see the future of the auto industry in real-time ride-sharing and are rolling out new services to better address the public’s needs for quality transportation services.
Tap30 Line is only available in Tehran for now, and allows drivers to respond to two requests and drive two passengers to their respective destinations.
The firm’s CEO Milad Monshipour says the service has become available from the closing days of August and offers better value for money to passengers.
While e-riding services have managed to cut transportation costs to a large degree, Tap30 Line is expected to further curb fares.
According to the company, the fees for the ride-sharing service are 30% lower than regular Tap30 rides.
Passengers willing to use Tap30 Line can choose their destination, and instead of tapping on “Classic”, choose the green-colored option “Line”.
The application will find another passenger going the same direction in less than 4 minutes. The second passenger will be chosen from nearby requests.
In a bid to promote the new service, even if a second passenger is not spotted, the customer who has initiated a Tap30 Line request will get a discount with the firm paying the driver the price difference.
Eco-Friendly
Major cities across the continents have been grappling with various environmental problems including suffocating air pollution along with worsening traffic congestion. Services such as ride-sharing can offer some respite to the public and be a great opportunity to improve the current ecological situation.
A recent MIT study suggests that using ride-sharing options from companies like Uber and Lyft could reduce the number of vehicles on the road by a factor of three without significantly impacting travel time.
The study conducted the research for New York City, finding that by using ride-sharing services, 95% of demand would be covered by just 2,000 10-person vehicles, compared to the nearly 14,000 taxis that currently operate in New York City.
Tehran and other major Iranian cities are experiencing growing congestion, worsening air quality and subsequently lower-quality city life.
Iran’s Department of Environment releases a daily air-pollution index—also referred to as Air Quality Index—which rates air quality based on the health risk it represents. Anything above 100 is bad news. In Tehran, the index regularly hits 150 in fall and winter, putting everyone’s health at risk.
Tap30’s new service can be the beginning of a solution for the aggravating situation facing residents of metropolises like Tehran, especially since winter is coming, a season associated with deadly air pollution.
Red Button
Tap30 has also introduced another feature in its app during summer; a red button which enables passengers to contact the company’s security unit in the event of feeling threatened during a ride.
The company activated the trial run of the feature “Contact Security Unit” back in July for 5,000 of its customers. The option will become available for all after being tested and reassessed.
By tapping on “Contact Security Unit,” Tap30 will review the situation and if necessary, contacts the police or calls an ambulance.
Moreover, if the driver deviates from the possible routes to the destination, the company’s security team will be alerted through a smart system and can follow up on the matter.
Ride-hailing companies have been slammed for their employment vetting procedures, which many considered inadequate after several cases of harassment were reported by passengers.
Ever since, the police has decided to conduct background checks on drivers before they are allowed to be considered by e-riding services for employment.
In addition to Tehran, Tap30 is currently operating in 10 cities in Iran, including Karaj, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Rasht.
The transportation startup’s application is available for download on Google Play and local Android market Cafe Bazaar and has been downloaded over two million times.
Tap30’s major rival in Iran is Snapp while several other firms are vying to gain some foothold in the market.
