This Is When Yatri Mitra Is Launching In Mumbai And Thane

Mumbai’s auto-rickshaw commuters, meet your new ally: Yatri Mitra. The app is all set to launch on July 15 in Mumbai and Thane, with a big promise and a very un-Ola attitude: metred fares and only ₹25 to be paid by drivers per day. Developed by the Seva Sarathi Autorickshaw Taxi and Transport Union in collaboration with Metazen Labs, a reputed tech firm from Thane, this app is doing something revolutionary and changing the fate of the driver. 

The Yatri Mitra App

 

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Did you know platforms like Uber and Ola take a fat commission from every ride? But Yatri Mitra is here to change this narrative. Yes, no commission on the news! Just ₹25/day. Reportedly, it is a metre-based initiative and accepts both cash and UPI. And, to the relief of an average commuter, there is no facade of “estimated fare.” According to m-Indicator Official, over 2,000 rickshaw drivers signed up on day one! Yatri Mitra has thought about insurance, too. Regular drivers using the app get accident insurance worth ₹5 lakh. This makes a powerful case for union-backed protection, which apps like Uber are still devoid of. 

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10,000 Autos Already Joined: Yatri Mitra

The numbers are big, but the ambition is bigger. 10,000 autos will hit the road with Yatri Mitra on July 15. According to m-Indicator Official, the rest of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with over half a million autos in circulation, may join the next frontier.

And if Metazen Labs shows the kind of exemplary thinking they’re known for, they’ll get there fast. These are the same folks who built digital infrastructure for the Mumbai Port Trust and Thane Municipal Corporation. Yatri Mitra draws inspiration from and follows the footsteps of Namma Yatri in Bengaluru. This is another commission-free, open-source challenger to the gig economy’s old gods. The difference is just that Namma Yatri is ONDC-backed, while Yatri Mitra is union-backed.

What’s innovative about Yatri Mitra is that both drivers and passengers get a deal that isn’t rigged. With drivers earning better, commuters too get honest fares! The city has finally assumed a win-win situation. 

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For drivers, it provides control. Not only this, but it provides predictability for the commuters too. It will hopefully put an end to “Your driver has taken another route to maximise efficiency” and the frustration that comes with it. This may allow a smooth ride with just you, your auto, and the sound of a metre ticking like it’s 2007, in a good way.

Cover Image Courtesy: yatri_mitra/Instagram AlxeyPnferov/istock