CEO Tripda Pedro Meduna and Pakistan country manager Ahmed Usman with their team in Karachi. PHOTO: BABAR KHAN JAVED
KARACHI: Carpooling is being considered the must-have solution for emerging markets to cull the gap between those who are in need and those that can.
Having experienced these issues firsthand, Pedro Meduna created Tripda -- a carpooling platform that connects commuters through a safe, social and convenient service. In November 2014, the platform launched in Pakistan, with Ahmed Usman as the country manager.
Following is an interview with CEO Meduna
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Q. Tell us why you're not Uber?
A. We are very different. Uber aims to compete with the cab industry. Drivers in Uber cars are doing that for the money. When people want Uber transport, they want it right away, Tripda drivers are normal people like you and me. They are already driving from one place to another, and are willing to share their seats to share costs and also gain social interaction. In a cab, you are paying someone to take you from one place to another. With Tripda, we are sharing the cost of the trip, it creates social interaction. People are more willing to talk and have a fun time during the trip. Tripda requires you to plan your trip ahead. I go today to Tripda to look for a trip in accordance to my plans. It requires planning and because of that, people know one another.
PHOTO: TRIPDA.IN
Q. How does the application determine the cost of the trip?
A. It calculates distance, fuel price, tolls depending on the car, and it suggests a price for the trip costs. For factors we have not considered, we allow drivers to override the suggested price a bit. The platform will never allow people to charge more that the cost of the trip, and drivers can never charge twice the suggested price. The transaction happens between the two parties, without us in the middle collecting a fee.
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Q. If you want to charge a lead generation or platform fee, how will you sustain the business?
A. We do not charge users or drivers as we think it is important to invest early on, making it easier to use and adapt. We may charge in the future with an annual membership fee, and take a cut from the transaction, but that is very long-term. Our current focus is on scaling the platform and for raising awareness; so, the network effect plays a great role in this.
Q. Travel is a major source of trouble for tourists. Do you have any plans, at all, to capitalise on Rio 2016 and solve the problem?
A. By that time, our big data will allow us opportunities to use the data to add intelligent uses, such as informing drivers about a rest stop en route. We can indeed use our data to understand tourist information, and learn more about when car usage is at its highest. As per your question, capitalisation on big data will occur when we reach millions of users.
Watch an interactive video on the website with a guide on how to use the app. PHOTO: TRIPDA.IN
Q. Your service assumes that laws are in place to protect consumers and vehicle owners in the event of a mishap. Knowing the realities, why have you introduced this venture in Pakistan and how will you counter the realities?
A. We are operating in 13 countries and have never had issues. I believe this is the case because both parties can interact before agreeing to each other. As a user of the app, I can always ask to meet my commuters at a shopping centre or gas station to get to know them. In this way, the chances of an [untoward] incident are low. Plus, we have various safety features like the Facebook social graph.
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Q. Foodpanda Pakistan currently has 8% of the online delivery channel market, a feat accomplished in two years. What are the expectations of your business in that time frame, and how do you plan on achieving it?
A. We are currently partnering with universities, corporations, associations and governments to raise awareness. That said, our forecast varies between markets. We are currently comparing the best practices between markets, with MD's sharing strategies used to learn what can be done to grow faster. We expect, that in 10 years, carpooling will be the main source of transport in all our emerging markets. Pakistan has a young demographic, and the adoption of smart phones has been fast so all the major stakeholders are in place.
PHOTO: BABAR KHAN
Q. Do you think this service has the potential of reducing traffic problems in cities, and will you impose rules on vehicle owners to follow traffic laws?
A. Definitely. You can reduce the number of cars from 4 to 1 -- that's a 75% drop. If someone is driving, and they speed or cut a red light or drive unsafely, they will be poorly rated and poorly reviewed by the riders. We, in turn, will reduce the ability of unsafe drivers from offering rides and commutes. This system has worked in emerging markets. We aim to make Tripda rides safer.
Also, a high percentage of road accidents occur because the driver is tired. Since more able-bodied people are in the car, the likelyhood of a carpool driver sleeping is low. This can reduce the level of accidents. And the rating system is two-way, so in turn the driver can also give a bad rating to an unruly passenger. In this way, technology is bringing the concept of trust and reputation back into the fold. Further, we will start empowering the community to review each other.
Schedule of recent rides and customer testimonials on the website. PHOTO: TIPDA.IN
Q. Which country has been the most challenging so far in terms of adoption, engagement and usage?
A. On a broader level, we see a lot of similarities between users across geographies, especially loyalty focused millennials. In Bogota (Columbia) all the highways are small and it increases the traffic such that a 100-kilometre ride can take up to four hours. Because of this, people prefer doing long distance drives on weekends. We have seen in a country like Argentina, that because they are going through a difficult economic situation, people are more likely to adopt Tripda and share their costs. India has one of the worst traffic conditions I have ever seen. The concept of transportation is already realised, especially by the government incentivising carpool transportation. And since traffic is a daily struggle, we saw a higher likelihood of adoption.
Q. How are you liking Karachi so far, and what experiences have stood out the most?
A. Our local country manager, Ahmed Usman, has been very accommodating and a great guide. I've had great local food in the form of mint lemonade and lamb chops, and experienced Tao's pan Asian variety. I have enjoyed how locals host foreigners. For instance, the other day we were at Kolachi and it was full. When I asked the host if he could make an exception for a Brazilian, he made space for us and was eager to impress. I see this in hotels and restaurants as well. On a daily basis, the people of Karachi are very open, giving, hospitable and eager to serve me tea! We have spoken at KSBL and FAST about our platform, and students have asked to take a selfie with me. People here are very friendly and amazing hosts.
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