Ride-hailing app Namma Yatri launched the Namma Transit feature in Bengaluru on Friday, which will act as a personal transit assistant, bringing metro routes as well as first and last-mile connectivity onto the platform.
The feature, which tracks metro and auto rides in real time, will show users which Bengaluru metro station they should head to, the platforms and gates to use, and when to switch travel modes.
According to the company, this new feature, built on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network, aims to reduce rising traffic in the city by making the public transport experience smoother.
“With a growing population, there are growing mobility needs as well. The objective could be to put an equal share of public transport and the last-mile connectivity vehicles, rather than only adding private vehicles. I think the fight is not against a cab or public transport, the fight is against more private vehicles,” said Shan MS, Co-founder and COO of Namma Yatri.
Going forward, the transit feature will build on growing combinations of public transport, including buses, said Nithin Nair, Senior Vice President of ONDC.
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“Some of the new (metro) lines that are coming up (in Bengaluru) are going to hotspots and high-density areas. We believe it’s (Namma Transit) an important move, and it’s probably a survival move as well. For our city to survive, the metro has to expand, public transport has to expand, and the bus fleet size will increase as well, and more electrification is happening. Now, with Transit, we’ll be combining the convenience and the affordability together as well,” Shan told YourStory on the sidelines of the launch event.
Founded in 2022, Namma Yatri has positioned itself in the ride-hailing space through a driver-centric approach and business model, pioneering the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model in India, replacing the previously prevalent commission model. Rivals such as Uber, Rapido, and Ola Consumer have since adopted this zero-commission model.
The Namma Transit feature is now available for select users and will be gradually rolled out to all users over the next week.
At the event, also attended by Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South, the company launched its MadeForBLR: Namma Mobility Blueprint 2030—a 10-point agenda to transform Bengaluru’s mobility.
The report envisions a 70% public transport share within the city, which is expected to halve commute time and emissions, thereby improving first and last-mile access.
Edited by Suman Singh
