Who is #OlaRental best suited for?

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
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I have to be honest here. I was a bit sceptical about choosing a rental cab service. I have had some pretty sour experiences in the past. In Mumbai while attending a book launch a few years ago, I was at my wits end arguing with a local rental cab company driver who had claimed a fixed 6 hours ride initially and then charged me double the fare at the end of it, saying with a smirk that the 6 hours included returning me back to the same spot and now I had to pay him the extra fare for his return back! Mind you, I was still in the heart of Mumbai and not in some faraway isolated locale when the ride ended. I did not want to return to my original spot but he harassed me into finally paying the extra fare.

That incident put me off rentals for a long time but with quite a few places to visit, I decided to try out the #OlaRental option last week once I landed in Mangalore. It was necessary because I had limited time on my hands and with multiple stops along the way, could not afford to keep heading back to the hotel to drop things off before starting the next leg of the journey.

Ola Cabs has a presence in 91 cities in India and is steadily increasing that number every year.
 I opted for the eight hour package - the mobile app of Ola Cabs allows you to choose the hours based on your needs starting from 1 hour onwards. 

Ola Rentals was a huge benefit for me and available at an amount lesser than when I had travelled a few years ago using an alternate cab service where there was only a fixed 4 hour or 8 hour package.
This was a huge benefit for me and available at an amount lesser than when I had travelled a few years ago using an alternate cab service where there was only a fixed 4 hour or 8 hour package. 

I got the best car to travel thanks to OLA Rentals.
I got the best car to travel thanks to OLA Rentals.

Mr Pradeep, my driver for the day, was a polite and knowledgeable fellow and knew the ins-and-outs of the city without having to refer the maps, choosing the best roads and driving smoothly after I had mentioned my residing back ailments. Our trips took us zig-zagging across Mangalore to half a dozen spots - and mind you, I even cancelled one location halfway through the journey after a sudden change of plans - and each time, what was really reassuring was him telling me to take my time and that he would be ready when I was done with my work.

My first stop was, in many ways, a walk down memory lane. Over 16 years ago, I used to visit the pristine temple of Kudroli in Mangalore every weekend. It's been nearly a decade since I stepped foot inside it though and today, walking through the vast space felt like revisiting an important phase of my past.  

Kudroli temple in Mangalore


From Kudroli, I headed off to another popular landmark of Mangalore, Janata Deluxe, where I met a fellow doctor and shared many a laugh over old memories and a tasty breakfast. From there, it was off to the malls! Forum Fiza Mall is one of the largest malls in Karnataka and over the course of two hours, my chubby frame probably did more walking inside the mall than I had done all month! 

By the time I was done, it was time to pick up a fellow friend and head off to lunch and this is where the ‘share details’ part of the Ola rental app came in handy. 

the ‘share details’ part of the Ola rental app came in handy to let friends and family know where you are in real time.


Sending him the details enabled him to track my location in real time as I headed towards his house so that he did not have to wait for us in the afternoon sun. From there, we headed off to Gajalee to savour the best of Mangalore’s seafood.

Here is the thing. Can you imagine me going around shopping in a mall carrying the 'flowers and coconut' prasadam that I got from Kudroli temple or stepping into a refined restaurant like Gajalee carrying coconuts, flowers, shoes, socks and duffel bags? 

the biggest advantage of OLA rental - that I could go from place to place and leave everything safely in the car without having to carry it all to the next destination, something which I definitely could not have done if I was choosing different cabs.


That for me was the biggest advantage of OLA rental - that I could go from place to place and leave everything safely in the car without having to carry it all to the next destination, something which I definitely could not have done if I was choosing different cabs.
    
Paying at the end of the journey was again not a hassle both in terms of mode (there are multiple options to pay for the ride, both digital or direct) as well as when it came to transparency as the rates are all visible in the app right from the start so there is no disagreement.

In fact, I ended my travel an hour earlier than I had booked since I had to do some packing in the hotel and was happy to see that the final price acknowledged the hours actually spent and did not bill me the extra hour which I had initially booked for. I have had the misfortune of being charged the full rate when I ended the ride early with a certain competitor of OLA in the past so it was heartening to see this.

The booking process:

It is really ridiculously simple to book an Ola rental. 

It is really ridiculously simple to book an Ola rental.


You can opt for anything from a small hatchback to a luxury sedan, based on your needs. The features and rate cards are displayed based on your choice of car and hours for complete transparency.

Who should consider using Ola Rental:

I thought about this a lot while returning home and these are some of the groups for whom I feel Ola Rental would be ideal.
  •  It is perfect for travelers and tourists who want to have the triple benefit of comfort, safety and transparency.
  • It is ideal when you are attending functions like weddings and parties as you can enjoy the occasion and know that you will safely reach home, no matter what hour it is.
  • And of course, the dreaded parking in cramped or busy locations which stops you from going out on weekends becomes a thing of the past. You can shop till you drop without worrying about parking or carrying a dozen bags as you light up the city!
  • You can book for others! Want to take your parents to the doctors or pick up a friend from the airport and you can't make it? That is totally fine since this becomes a safe-trustworthy option.
  • Great for everyday routines like going for swimming lessons.


Today, Ola Cabs has a presence in 91 cities in India and is steadily increasing that number every year. Friends and family all over recommend it over the competition, citing the enhanced security features, transparency of bill and ability to choose the vehicle based on your needs, be it a hatchback or a luxury SUV.

To that list, I now add the wonderful rental option Ola provides based on my own personal experience. 

Mr Pradeep, my Ola Rental river for the day, was a polite and knowledgeable fellow and knew the ins-and-outs of the city without having to refer the maps, choosing the best roads and driving smoothly after I had mentioned my residing back ailments.
Me with the wonderfully polite driver of my Ola Rental, Mr Pradeep.


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27Comments

Let me know what you think.

  1. I use Ola Cabs in various cities and love the convenience, transparency and pricing. Have used the service for pick and drop only and never used the day package. It really is convenient and hassle free when you have multiple stops and yes, lots of shopping bags :D

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    1. It is really helpful if you have multiple stops and don't want to carry all of the stuff you purchase PLUS fear parking issues.

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  2. These services are indeed a blessing and comfortable as well as safe. I recommend them to all my friends and folks. Good you had a wonderful trip.

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    1. Quite a few friends have spoken well of Ola's other services. The rental was definitely new for me.

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  3. Some Ola drivers are really good. But I have had some horrible experiences. But then there are always those rotten few. Since I don't know how to drive and often go out with a toddler, a cab service always comes to my rescue because god knows autos have a mind of their own!

    PS: Doc your Twitter share button doesn't have your Twitter Handle.

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    1. The rental option tends to use only the highest rated drivers from OLA as per their policy should be far safer. And yes, for Twitter, have to use the SUMO buttons on the left side (or bottom in the mobile view) for sharing with my profile.

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  4. Wow! I am glad you had a great experience with Ola. I have used Ola in Mumbai as well as Bangalore and I have. frankly, had a mixed bag of experiences when it comes to cab rentals. But with such positivity coming from you about Ola, I think I might be more partial to Ola from now on. :)

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    1. I have had bad experiences with cab rentals in the past as I mentioned and they put me off. I would much rather prefer this as the rates are transparent from the very beginning.

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  5. I hve used Ola cabs a couple of times during my last visit to India. I absolutely loved their tracking feature. My friend would book one through her phone and she could then track how mucj I paid and when I reached the airport. I love the convenience... You seem to have an awesome trip. Look at all the shopping you did.

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    1. Yes, this 'share details'feature was something I had not used before.. was something i found very useful

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  6. I have never used the Ola Rentals but the usual can services are pretty good. In Bangalore, without Ola it's hard to survive. So I am not surprised at your review but reassured that Ola can be trusted for outstation too. :)

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    1. I agree about the Bangalore thing. I find it more reliable than Uber presently

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  7. Recently we were travelling in cab from Jaisalmer to Delhi. Since it got late we decided to take a night halt at Jaipur and cancelled the further trip to delhi. The cab company srgued so much and wanted us to pay for the whole journey. I guess Ola is easy in this manner.

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    1. That is the problem... these private tour companies really do look to take advantage. Better to have someone who is reliable

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  8. Glad u found a cab rental service vendor that suits. I hope u find them good always. There are times when things fluctuate dur to drivers. Everyone has had bad experiences with different can servicer providers.

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    1. I've had bad experiences with private operators in the past. And yes, important to get a good driver.

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  9. I have been using Ola with Uber and other cab services. I would rate it 7/10 bcos of the peak hour billing. I have been charged 2400 for a regular 1000/- journey in peak hours once. So that is a big Turn off in a metro. Rates should be flat and consistent with little deviation.

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    1. I agree on that part... this 'peak hours' thing is an issue that needs more clarity.

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  10. I have used OLA on various occasions. Some times the drivers are very caring and make our travel very comfortable.

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    1. I agree... a large part comes down to the drivers they have in their company and those they choose to hire.

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  11. We need good rental services for whole day trip which involves shopping.Ola rental looks great.

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  12. Great to know Dr Roshan about Ola rentals. This is so cool that you managed to keep all your luggage in the cab while you had lunch and visited the mall.
    Will check it out next time I'm travelling interstate

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  13. I always use Ola on my visit to Delhi and Lucknow. This hourly rental service look so cool and affordable. And you have hassle free and safe journey which is very important when we are in other city. Thanks for sharing your experience.

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  14. I use Ola cab a lot for going around the city but never used Ola rental. Good to know about your experience. Will try next time.

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  15. Seems like you had an awesome experience with OLa, well even i have been into cabs but i always trust meru or uber, i have heard stories about ola and so never tried but with your review but give them a chance once!!!

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