Cab aggregator Ola on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Mumbai-based Ridlr, an end-to-end public transport ticketing and commuting app that helps with a commuter’s daily intra-city travel needs.
Ola did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. The acquisition closely follows a range of milestones for the company, including acquisition of Foodpanda and Ola’s launch of services in Australia, its first international market.
“The acquisition complements Ola’s continued efforts to integrate its mobility platform with public transportation infrastructure. The integration of Ridlr will bring new opportunities for users to serve their mobility needs,” the company said in a statement.
Founded in 2012, Ridlr enables users to search and book public transport options on their mobile phones, and its proprietary Internet of Things (IoT) devices bring digital capabilities to public transportation in India.
Ridlr’s team of 64 employees will join Ola and Brijraj Vaghani, founder of Ridlr, will continue leading its operations.
Vaghani said: “We have been offering end-to-end mass transit solutions, making their daily commute seamless across different public transportation modes. Ola has made deep inroads into the realm of urban mobility through its smart ride-sharing solutions. By joining forces with Ola, we are delighted to become part of an evolved ecosystem that will act as a one-stop destination for any urban commute in an affordable and seamless manner.”
Ridlr serves commuters in Mumbai and Delhi with partnerships with BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport), Delhi Metro and Mumbai Metro, along with pilots in several other cities.
“Public transportation serves millions of Indians every day, and powering these needs with real-time information, mobile ticketing, cashless payments and reliable services is bound to impact their end experience,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO, Ola.
“The acquisition lends muscle to our efforts in making transportation a far more holistic service.”