Monthly Archives: March 2015

Safe, Secure, Always!

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The Ola platform brings together tens of thousands of drivers and millions of customers to make on-demand services efficient, effortless and economical for all. What we have built is a full-fledged technology platform that is mobile focused to be able to solve a real problem out there, at scale. Needless to say, our priority and focus have always been on our customers and driver-partners on the platform. This includes the ability to connect them in real-time to each other and the responsibility that comes with the massive amount of data that is crunched, day in and day out.

We have in the past few weeks come across a few posts that question the security of information on the Ola platform.  Specifically these issues were centered around lack of HTTPS/TLS, Wallet recharge related security issues and cryptographic keys.

We would like to take a moment to assure you that all vulnerabilities pointed out were fixed in totality in the subsequent releases. As a fast growing technology company, we have been working steadily on building a great product for customers and drivers and at the same time, improving this consistently with every release. We have security experts in house and continue to work with the best of security experts in the industry to make Ola safe and secure for our customers.

We would like to assure all users using the latest version of our app of the following:
  1. Sensitive personally identifiable information related to your profile like Login, Ride details, Contacts and Ola Money are transmitted over the Secure Network (SSL/TLS). This would mean that no one can snoop or tamper the requests over the wire.
  2. Sensitive information related to Ola Money are encrypted and stored securely.
  3. We use cryptographically strong salted hash functions to store passwords.
  4. In summary we have taken detailed measures to ensure that your transactions with Ola are protected
We respect the community that proactively brings to our attention, potential risks in spite of there being no organised reward program. At the same time, we seek adherence to responsible disclosure practices that are practiced globally, which includes checking on the same with the company before making public statements.
And before we sign off, a gentle reminder to always update your app to the latest available versions to help us improve your experience every single time!
– Security team @ Ola

Go Cash-free with #OlaAuto

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Here’s how:

  1. Download the Ola app: it all starts here.
  2. Recharge Ola money through credit/debit card or online banking.
  3. Book an Auto with the Ola mobile app.
  4. At the end of the trip, you can choose to pay for the ride either partially or completely with your Ola money balance.
  5. If you choose to pay with Ola money, mention the amount to the driver. You will then receive an SMS with an authentication code. Here’s the sample sms:
  “Your authentication code for KRN XXXXXXX is 0000. Your Ola Money bill amount is Rs Z.                Kindly communicate the 4 digit code to the driver to proceed with the transaction”
  1. Share the authentication code with the driver.
  2. Voila! You have now paid for your auto with Ola money.

Please note:

  1. The final payable amount for every ride includes Rs.10 as a convenience charge on top of the metered amount. Autos also levy an extra night charge mandated by the government. Check FAQs
  2. Ola money doesn’t get automatically debited, and the customer has the choice to pay for the ride in cash.
  3. By sharing the authentication code with the driver, you are agreeing to pay the respective amount to the driver in Ola money.
  4. If due to network issue, you don’t receive the SMS, we request to you pay the driver in cash. Your Ola money will not be debited.

First time #OlaAuto user? Get two free rides! Find out how.  

 

Peak Pricing: The what, why, and how of it

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You may have noticed in the last few months, we have grown visibly bigger. We’ve introduced new categories like Prime and mini, brought in autos and local Kaali Peeli taxis onto the platform, and boosted our fleet size to over one lakh cabs, across 80+ cities.  All this so you are never without a ride.

And yet, there are times when demand is ahead of us. Every day, thousands of customers onboard the Ola platform and choose a new travel lifestyle. It is our intention to link the maximum number of customers with the ride of their choice- even at the busiest hours.  In order to create more availability in times of increased demand, we’ve introduced a peak hour pricing.

WHY

Peak pricing is triggered when there is too much demand and not enough cabs to service the additional demand. This is usually during peak travel hours; during office hours like 9 am or 6 pm, special events such as a strike or periods of extreme weather.  It is NOT at fixed times, but varies depending on the demand at the hour , the category you select and your location. For e.g.: 4 am may not seem like a peak time for traffic, but a large number of travellers who have an early morning flight to catch rely on us to ferry them to the airport, and hence you might find peak pricing.

What

You can now get a ride during peak demand hours by agreeing to pay a surcharge that will be a multiplier of the regular fare. This helps us make more cabs available for everyone. You will always be informed of the peak pricing applicable on the ride before you book.

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If you choose “I Agree”, you are accepting to pay the peak hour pricing on your ride.

However , you always have a choice. If the peak pricing of the hour is high,  then you click on “Try Later” , go back to the home screen, select a different category ( and we have a wide range of rides from Autos to Prime) and you may find a ride with no or lower peak price.
Transparency is something we swear by, and we will do all that it takes to get you going whenever, wherever.

Team Ola!

Get TWO Ola Auto Rides Free!

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Haven’t tried out  Ola Autos yet? Now maybe a good time since your first two auto rides booked on the Ola app are free!

Here’s how it works: Book an auto from the Ola mobile app and call it to your doorstep. As soon as your ride starts, we’ll credit Rs.50 Ola money to you.  Use this to pay for your ride at the end of the trip (We request you to pay the balance amount in cash, or ola money). And not just once, your second ride within the offer period will be free too!

But here’s the best part:  You no longer will have to stand on the roads and wait for autos, haggle with them, or struggle for change to settle the fare. That’s right, you can also use Ola money to pay for your auto rides partially or completely. The choice is yours. Find out how to use Ola money to pay for your ride.   

So #ChaloNiklo and try an Ola auto today! Do also tweet back to @olacabs your feedback with #OlaAuto .

How to get the app? Visit: www.olacabs.com/app

Terms and Conditions of the offer:

  1. Offer is valid for first time users of Ola auto only.
  2. Ride is free upto a maximum of Rs.50. Rs.10 Convenience charge is included in the offer. Rs 50 Ola money will be credited at the start of the trip to the customers account. At the end of the trip, the customer can choose to pay for the ride with this money. Any balance amount must be paid for in cash.
  3. Only on bookings made on the Ola App; Not applicable on CC & Website bookings.
  4. The offer is valid from 9th March – 22nd March 2015.
  5. Customer will have to avail both rides within the offer period. If a customer takes the second ride after 22nd March, offer will not be applicable.
  6. Not applicable on city taxi bookings.
  7. Offer is applicable only in cities Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune & Ahemdabad
  8. Olacabs reserves the right to change or modify the offer at any period of time.