New ride-share firm Ola launches in city

New ride-share company Ola has launched in Christchurch.

The India-based company, which was founded in 2011, provides punters with an alternative to already established rideshare services Uber and NZ-based Zoomy, which is yet to arrive.

To celebrate its launch all rides will be 50 per cent off for the first month. Ola was available in Wellington and Auckland as of yesterday.

NZ country manager Brian Dewil said the launch of Ola in New Zealand was an important step for the company and the country’s ride-sharing industry.

He earlier told The Press Kiwis had little choice when it came to ride-shares.

‘‘I’m excited to build the local team and business in New Zealand and provide a healthy contribution to the nation’s local transport infrastructure,’’ he said.

Ola already operates in India, Australia and the United Kingdom and claims to have more than 125 million users taking up to 1 billion rides annually.

Ola’s phone app has safety features such as an emergency button that sends ride details to friends, family and emergency services, including real-time tracking of the car.

When it comes to drivers, the company claims to charge the industry’s lowest commission. It is offering an introductory commission rate of 9 per cent and pays drivers daily.

The company launched in Australia in February and has more than 50,000 drivers in seven major cities. It started operating in the United Kingdom in August.

Ride-sharing looks set to become a crowded market.

Competitor Uber operates in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin and Queenstown.

Zoomy is in Auckland and Wellington. Director Ben Unger said last month the company had signed up 300 Christchurch drivers since September, but could not provide a launch date.

A female-only service called DriveHer aims to start operating in Auckland in late 2018.

The Ola app can be downloaded from the Google Play and iOS App stores.