Aimed at becoming a one-stop destination for commuting services, Tukxi – the Kochi based ride finding app for auto rickshaws – plans to expand its operations to more areas.

“Rather than confining to the city, we intend to extend the services to suburbs as well, thereby helping the common man without having to wave their hands to hire autos,” Sooraj Nair and Arjun Thambi of Tukxi India said.

In an industry with existing players, the company plans to go to places in rural areas where no others have reached. There are also plans to set up a toll-free number to facilitate booking for senior citizens who are less at ease with technology, they said.

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The seven-month-old app operating in the city has so far been able to register around 1000 auto drivers and plans to increase this number to 10,000 in the next one year. Besides Kochi, the company proposes to expand its services to more parts of the State and later to metros such as Mumbai and Chennai.

Asked on the revenue model, they pointed out that a minimal booking charge sustains the revenue of the company while making certain that no percentage of the drivers’ fee is taken. With focus to bringing an additional source of income for auto drivers, Tukxi has also ventured into home delivery system in collaboration with numerous brands.

“We have also started discussions with the motor vehicles department to provide training for auto drivers to equip them for various tourism related activities. The company also intends to reach out to trade unions to ensure the participation of a greater number of auto drivers into the app,” Sooraj Nair said, adding that plans are afoot to include taxis under the purview of the app.