Ola, TFS or Uber – Which is cheaper?
The arrival of private cab operators like Meru Cabs, Dot Cabs and Sky Cabs certainly improved the options for comfortable travel within Hyderabad but these services have pretty much relegated themselves to Airport-runs.
The arrival of Ola Cabs, Taxi for Sure and Uber actually heralded the end of dependence on the infamous Hyderabad Auto-wallah whose vocabulary consists of a single word – No.
Like our dear mobile phone companies, the cab companies too now have a variety of service plans and each new plan is slightly more convoluted than the one before.
The table below illustrates the comparison of basic plans from Ola, TFS and Uber. Note that ride time has been calculated at 20 KM/Hour – which sits in the sweet spot of about 15 KM/Hour in heavy traffic situations and 30 KM/Hour speed that we experience in low-medium traffic situations.
Service Plans of Ola Cabs, Ola Taxi for Sure and Uber at Hyderabad (as on 16-Mar-2016):
| Ola Mini | Ola Micro | Ola TFS | Ola SUV | Ola Sedan | UberGO | UberX | UberSUV | |
| Base | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 45 | 120 |
| Minimum Fare | 90 | 50 | 49 | 150 | 100 | 50 | 80 | 160 |
| Minimum Distance | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| Std Fare Per KM | 7 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 20 |
| Premium Amount | 62 | 2 | 37 | 60 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ride Time Charge | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 0.95 | 1 | 2.5 |
Approximate Fare Chart: (excluding Service tax etc.)
| KM | Fare | |||||||
| Ola Mini | Ola Micro | Ola TFS | Ola SUV | Ola Sedan | UberGO | UberX | UberSUV | |
| 1 | 90 | 85 | 49 | 150 | 100 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 2 | 90 | 85 | 49 | 150 | 100 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 3 | 90 | 85 | 68.5 | 150 | 100 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 4 | 90 | 85 | 79 | 150 | 100 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 5 | 112 | 85 | 89.5 | 150 | 124 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 6 | 122 | 85 | 100 | 204 | 136 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 7 | 132 | 85 | 110.5 | 228 | 148 | 75 | 125 | 280 |
| 8 | 142 | 85 | 121 | 252 | 160 | 104.8 | 125 | 280 |
| 9 | 152 | 118 | 131.5 | 276 | 172 | 114.65 | 125 | 367.5 |
| 10 | 162 | 127 | 142 | 300 | 184 | 124.5 | 165 | 395 |
| 11 | 172 | 136 | 152.5 | 324 | 196 | 134.35 | 177 | 422.5 |
| 12 | 182 | 145 | 163 | 348 | 208 | 144.2 | 189 | 450 |
| 13 | 192 | 154 | 173.5 | 372 | 220 | 154.05 | 201 | 477.5 |
| 14 | 202 | 163 | 184 | 396 | 232 | 163.9 | 213 | 505 |
| 15 | 212 | 172 | 194.5 | 420 | 244 | 173.75 | 225 | 532.5 |
| 16 | 222 | 181 | 205 | 444 | 256 | 183.6 | 237 | 560 |
| 17 | 232 | 190 | 215.5 | 468 | 268 | 193.45 | 249 | 587.5 |
| 18 | 242 | 199 | 226 | 492 | 280 | 203.3 | 261 | 615 |
| 19 | 252 | 208 | 236.5 | 516 | 292 | 213.15 | 273 | 642.5 |
| 20 | 262 | 217 | 247 | 540 | 304 | 223 | 285 | 670 |
| 21 | 272 | 226 | 257.5 | 564 | 316 | 232.85 | 297 | 697.5 |
| 22 | 282 | 235 | 268 | 588 | 328 | 242.7 | 309 | 725 |
| 23 | 292 | 244 | 278.5 | 612 | 340 | 252.55 | 321 | 752.5 |
| 24 | 302 | 253 | 289 | 636 | 352 | 262.4 | 333 | 780 |
| 25 | 312 | 262 | 299.5 | 660 | 364 | 272.25 | 345 | 807.5 |
| 26 | 322 | 271 | 310 | 684 | 376 | 282.1 | 357 | 835 |
| 27 | 332 | 280 | 320.5 | 708 | 388 | 291.95 | 369 | 862.5 |
| 28 | 342 | 289 | 331 | 732 | 400 | 301.8 | 381 | 890 |
| 29 | 352 | 298 | 341.5 | 756 | 412 | 311.65 | 393 | 917.5 |
| 30 | 362 | 307 | 352 | 780 | 424 | 321.5 | 405 | 945 |
| Ola Mini | Ola Micro | Ola TFS | Ola SUV | Ola Sedan | UberGO | UberX | UberSUV |
Plot of Fare Chart:
Inferences:
- If you travel very short distance up-to 4 KMs, Ola Taxi for Sure is the most economical service.
- If you travel intermediate distances up-to 7 KMs, Ola Micro and UberGo are the most economical services with Uber-Go being cheaper.
- If you travel long distance up-to 30 KMs in small car, Ola Micro is the most economical service and Ola Mini is the most expensive.
- Over long distance up-to 30 KMs, considering Ola Micro as the base, Ola TFS is 14.65% more expensive, Ola Mini is 17.91% more expensive, Ola Sedan is 38.11% more expensive and Ola SUV is 154% more expensive.
- Ola Micro gives you the longest ride for a fixed price and is also the cheapest above distances of 10 KMs.
- In Sedan category, Ola Sedan has the lowest entry point, but UberX is cheaper from 5 KM distance onwards.
- In SUV category, Ola SUV wins hands down.
