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Ride-hailing app Ola has announced plans to enter New Zealand, beginning with Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. It will take on arch rival Uber which had entered New Zealand in 2014, and other cab services such as Zoomy, Blue Bubble and Green Cabs.
Ola’s launch into New Zealand follows its launch in Australia, its first international market foray in February 2018 and the UK in August 2018. At present, it operates in seven major cities across Australia and has close to 50,000 registered drivers.
To build Ola’s presence locally, Brian Dewil has been appointed as Country Manager for New Zealand.
Pointing out that Kiwis have had too little choice when it comes to rideshare, Dewil, in a statement said: “Ola’s arrival will create a compelling experience that puts the quality of rides first. I’m excited to build the local team and business in New Zealand and provide a healthy contribution to the nation’s local mobility infrastructure.”
A proven business leader with over 15 years of experience working in the technology and start-up industry, Brian previously founded UrbanSherpa, a company that disrupted the local courier market. Before his newly appointed role at Ola, he was the co-founder and Director of Horizon Robotics, where he implemented robotic technologies to re-imagine the way physical goods are transported and delivered.
“We see a real opportunity in New Zealand to provide a fair alternative in the ride share space for both customers and drivers” Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola, said in a statement.
“We invested in understanding the New Zealand customers and devised the right strategy to meet their transport needs. We are looking forward to creating high quality transport experiences for both passengers and drivers in New Zealand,” he added.
As is customary when it enters new markets, starting today, Ola is inviting private vehicle owners to learn more about driving and registering with Ola, offering them a market low introductory commission rate of 9 per cent, against commission rates ranging from 15 per cent up to 25 per cent by other players in the market. In India, Ola charges around 20-22 per cent commission from its driver partners.
Founded in 2011, Ola currently provides smart transportation to over 125 million users in India, Australia and the UK, serving as many as a billion rides annually through its platform.
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