Godugo introduces a ride-hailing service and plans to have a state-wide presence in Kerala.
On International Women’s Day, the Palakkad-based startup released the Godugo ride-hailing app, stating that passenger safety will be its first focus. It aspires to establish a presence throughout the state, unlike the existing companies in the field.
Clarissa I, Godugo’s managing director, explains that like the rest of us, she has heard accounts of how dangerous online taxis can be for women, especially at night. This led the team to create a one-of-a-kind feature, an improved SOS system. If a female passenger or driver feels endangered, they may use an app-built function that sends an alarm to the phones of people using the service who are within a 1km radius. It will also notify the nearest police station.
About 2,000 auto rickshaw and taxi drivers have already joined the company, and unlike other players that operate in select towns, Godugo will be available in each district and will have a physical presence in 14 districts throughout Kerala. In Kochi alone, the firm currently has 500 registered drivers, out of which six are women.
Only passengers who use the app will be able to cancel a trip. This tool will solve a typical problem that many passengers confront when drivers cancel their excursions. In addition, if a driver deviates from the designated route, notifications will be sent to the passenger’s phone as well as Godugo’s monitoring system. The rates will be based on government costs, with the firm receiving only a 5% fee. Rute Technologies of Coimbatore created the app in less than two years. On Wednesday, Cochin Port Trust chairwoman Dr M Beena, author K A Beena, retired IAF pilot Flt Lt Sreevidya Rajan, and actress Bhavana unveiled it at the J W Marriott Hotel.
