Personal transport system has undergone a significant change after the introduction of app based taxi’s and is increasingly becoming a part of the way we hail a taxi, and rightly so .Over the past few years there has been a growing fleet of Mobile Application based (App-based) Taxi Service providers in Kolkata. Popularity and preference for App-based taxis have also been on the rise. A key advantage of App based taxi drivers is the availability of “a platform for customer sourcing”. However there remains an estimated 30,000 taxis (yellow and blue/white taxis) which are outside the purview of such customer sourcing platforms.

In this context, with the focus of fostering collaboration with the yellow and blue/white taxis and catalyzing the transport ecosystem of the State, BCC&I came up with an idea to create a platform on which mobile app providers can provide apps offering these taxi drivers a platform for customer sourcing to provide them with a level playing field with other App-based taxi services. Such a platform is also expected to provide customers with an option to remotely locate and call a yellow or blue/white Taxi without compromising on safety, comfort, reliability and cost competiveness.

This initiative led by BCC&I along with KPMG as Knowledge Partner and Softhink Technologies as the Technology Service provider has taken shape of a Mobile App – ‘Travelator’ that was launched on 31st Aug, 2016 by The Hon’ble Minister- In-Charge for Transport, Government of West Bengal, Shri. Suvendu Adhikary in presence of Principal Secretary, Department of Transport, Government of West Bengal Mr. Alapan Bandopadhyay, and Chief Nodal Officer (Project), Transport Department, Mr. Narayan Swaroop Nigam. The launch program was also presided over by the President of BCC&I, Mr. Ambarish Dasgupta and Director General Designate of BCC&I, Mr. Subhodip Ghosh. Other stakeholders were also present.

This launch is the culmination of an initiative taken by BCC&I in March 2016, when it presented a proposal to the Department of Transport, Govt. of West Bengal for the “Taxi Commuter Connect Platform”, an innovative platform for Public Taxi Operators, popularly known as yellow and blue/white taxis which are outside the purview of app-based cab services at the moment.

By implementing such a platform, yellow and blue/white taxis become more convenient, comfortable, accessible and understandable for everyone. The number of passengers using these taxis should increase and citizens could embrace their utility to society. Thereby, transforming the way Kolkata moves! This would also set a model that could be replicated by other states and also any other forms of transport and thereby change the dynamics of Public Transport in the country.