Ola’s big ‘play’ is gimmicky. Riders just want fewer cancellations

Photo credit : gutzemberg / 123RF.

Ride-hailing app Ola, the Indian rival to Uber, launched a massive upgrade to its in-cab entertainment plans on Tuesday – Ola Play. Think in-flight entertainment, complete with videos, music, and other paraphernalia, but for cab rides.

Passengers will be able to listen to songs, watch their favorite TV shows, get tourist recommendations, shop, and also tweak car settings such as air conditioning right from the Ola app, co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said in a glitzy launch event in Bangalore.

The company is calling it “the world’s first connected car platform for ride-sharing.”

The promise and scope of what this could do for cab rides is phenomenal. Imagine being able to pass your time with great wifi, content, and other entertainment while you are stuck in India’s perennial traffic snarls. Ola developed the service for a year, and has even tied up with Apple Music, Sony, and other partners to make it work.

Going to office may actually turn to be an enjoyable experience for thousands of Indians.

The trouble, however, lies in the fine print.

Bhavish at the launch. Photo credit: Tech in Asia.

To begin with, Ola’s claim that this is the world’s first such innovation might be true technically, but Uber already has a similar proposition in play in the United States. Users can listen to music [a 10-minute playlist for a 10-minute ride], or news updates, or even order food if they want. On the face of it, the concept sounds the same, minus the glam quotient of Ola’s touch-screen hardware, and the added promises of tourist guide [a demo showed how trips in Mumbai will come with an in-app guide of Bollywood stars’ homes, but more on this in a bit], temperature control, or shopping.

When asked how Ola Play was different from what Uber has (Uber’s service is not available in India), Bhavish replied with a version of “but we are better.”

Then comes the question of availability. For now, Ola Play is available for higher end “Prime” cabs only for Ola Select customers in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. Ola Select, for those who don’t know, is the company’s US$8.20-a-month membership service, where customers are promised better cab services (free wifi in all cabs, access to special events, and the assurance of riding with highly rated drivers).

See: Ola launches mystery loyalty program that’s largely MIA on its app

Bhavish did say all “Prime” cabs will get the entertainment systems within three months, even for those without Select membership. The service will be rolled out across other cities and to over 50,000 vehicles by March 2017.