In this interview, Karthik Sengottaian, CEO of Book My Ride, sits down with
Website Planet to discuss the growth and changes Book My Ride has undergone over the years until becoming the #1 Marketplace for Taxis in Sweden, while quickly expanding in other countries.
SaaS and apps developers should read on to learn how commitment to sustainability and a wider range of options than any other company in the same niche help Book My Ride stand out from the competition.
What is Book My Ride and how does it work?
Book My Ride is an online platform that serves as a marketplace for taxi services, similar to Skyscanner for flights. It brings together multiple taxi companies in one place to provide users with a wide range of options based on their specific needs, such as price, ETA, and eco-friendliness. Book My Ride has access to a large number of taxis from over 95 taxi companies and has a fleet of more than 8,000 taxis.
The platform operates through a three-step booking process.
- Users simply enter their pickup and drop-off locations and click the search button.
- Book My Ride then displays a list of available taxis in the area, along with their fares, estimated arrival times, and environmental ratings.
- Users can filter the results based on their preferences, such as car type, size, and capacity. The platform also allows users to pre-book taxis for later or book them on the spot, providing a convenient and flexible experience for users.
For taxi companies, Book My Ride provides an efficient and reliable way to connect with potential customers and manage their IT infrastructure.
What sparked the idea, and what have you achieved so far?
The idea for Book My Ride was sparked when the founder, Karthik Sengottaian, was at a house party with friends and one of his friends needed to urgently find a taxi to go home. Despite searching on Uber and Bolt, they were unable to find a ride at such a late hour. This experience led Karthik to think about creating an application that would combine all the available taxi companies and show them to the user, giving them the option to choose the best ride.
Since its launch, Book My Ride has grown to become a leading taxi booking platform in Sweden, providing access to over 8,000 taxis from more than 95 taxi companies.
Book My Ride’s website and mobile app allow users to search, compare, and book taxi rides based on their needs, such as price, ETA, and eco-friendliness. The company has also developed an API and booking widget to help event companies, hotels, and other businesses offer taxi booking services to their customers.
Book My Ride’s commitment to sustainability has been a core part of its mission from the beginning. The company encourages the use of eco-friendly taxis and offers incentives to drivers who use them. Book My Ride has also implemented features such as carbon offsetting to help reduce its environmental impact.
Overall, Book My Ride has achieved significant growth and success since its inception, and continues to work towards providing a convenient, sustainable, and reliable platform for booking taxi rides in Sweden.
How does your mission differ from the other companies in your niche?
Book My Ride’s mission is to create an all-in-one taxi marketplace that brings together all taxi companies in one place, providing customers with more options and flexibility. This differs from other companies in the niche that focus on one particular taxi service or company, limiting the options available to customers.
Furthermore, Book My Ride prioritizes eco-friendliness, allowing customers to choose a ride that is not only convenient and affordable but also environmentally conscious. The company’s commitment to sustainability sets it apart from competitors that may not prioritize eco-friendliness.
Overall, Book My Ride’s mission is to provide customers with a seamless and eco-friendly experience when booking a taxi, offering a wider range of options than other companies in the niche.
Who are your typical users and what problems do they have when they come to you?
Book My Ride has several types of common users, including:
- Casual travelers: These are people who need to book a taxi for personal transportation. They may be traveling to a new city or country and don’t know the local taxi companies, or they may be in a hurry and need to find a taxi quickly.
- Business travelers: These are employees of companies who need to book taxis for business trips. They may need to book a taxi to get to and from the airport, or they may need to book a taxi to get to a meeting or conference.
- Online travel agencies: These are companies that offer travel booking services to their customers. They may need access to a large inventory of taxis in a particular country, and Book My Ride’s developer API allows them to access this inventory.
- Event companies and hotel chains: These are companies that organize events such as workshops, concerts, conferences, and sports events. They may need to book taxis for their customers, and Book My Ride’s taxi booking widget allows them to do this easily.
When these users come to Book My Ride, they typically have problems related to finding a reliable taxi service that meets their needs. They may not be familiar with the local taxi companies, they may not know which taxi company to choose, or they may have had a bad experience with a taxi service in the past.
Book My Ride solves these problems by providing a platform that brings together multiple taxi companies in one place, making it easy for users to compare prices and choose the best taxi for their needs.
And What makes them eventually choose you over your competitors?
- At Book My Ride, we offer a range of transportation solutions to meet the needs of different users and businesses. Our mobile app is designed to make it easy for end-users to search, compare, and book a taxi ride, providing a convenient and efficient way to find the best transportation option for their needs.
- For OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), our developer API provides access to our extensive taxi inventory across multiple countries, allowing them to offer a wider range of transportation options to their customers. Therefore, it’s easy for OTAs to integrate our platform with their own, providing a seamless experience for their users.
- Our booking widget allows event companies and hotel chains to offer a branded and customizable booking interface directly on their website. This makes it easy for their customers to book a taxi ride without leaving the website, providing a more streamlined and convenient experience.
- Finally, our web portal for corporate clients provides an easy-to-use platform for employees to book a taxi ride within their organization. This helps companies to ensure that their employees have access to reliable and convenient transportation, while also providing a cost-effective solution for managing transportation expenses.
Overall, Book My Ride’s range of transportation solutions, combined with our focus on sustainability, eco-friendliness, and customer service, make us a top choice for users and businesses looking for a reliable, efficient, and environmentally conscious transportation solution.
What do you see in the future of your industry, and how do you plan to cope?
As the transportation industry continues to evolve, we see a growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable transportation solutions. At Book My Ride, we’re committed to leading the way in this area, and we plan to continue investing in sustainable transportation options such as hybrid and electric vehicles.
In addition, we see a growing trend towards greater customization and personalization in transportation services. Our mobile app and booking widget are designed to provide a more personalized experience for users, allowing them to choose transportation options based on their specific needs and preferences. In the future, we plan to further develop our platform to offer even more customization options, such as tailored pricing and loyalty programs.
Finally, we see continued growth and expansion in the corporate transportation market. Our web portal for corporate clients is already a popular solution for businesses looking to manage their transportation expenses, and we plan to continue investing in this area to meet the growing demand for reliable and efficient transportation solutions for employees.
Overall, we believe that by focusing on sustainability, personalization, and corporate transportation, we can continue to grow and thrive in the evolving transportation industry. We plan to stay at the forefront of these trends by continually innovating and refining our platform to meet the changing needs of our users and partners.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, Book My Ride envisions becoming the top platform for taxi booking and transportation services. We plan to expand our reach globally by offering a range of transportation options through our mobile app, developer API, taxi booking widget, and web portal for corporate clients.
Our commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness will remain a top priority, as we encourage the use of hybrid and electric vehicles on our platform. Additionally, we will provide round-the-clock customer service to ensure that our users have a seamless and personalized experience.
Book My Ride will be known for its innovation and reliability in the transportation industry, with a focus on delivering a convenient and efficient service to our customers and partners. We look forward to continued growth and success as we strive to meet the evolving needs of the transportation industry.
