Jazz, the largest telecom company in Pakistan, is stepping outside of its usual business affairs by introducing a ride-hailing service in Pakistan, we have checked with sources.
Dubbed mLift, Jazz’s ride-hailing service is going to connect drivers with riders over IVR or voice call, i.e. without any internet requirement.
This means that service will be at once compatible with those millions of customers who don’t use internet.
Additionally, mLift is also hoping to remove the threat that Uber and Careem are posing to conventional transport services, such as yellow cabs and other taxis.
These conventional taxi drivers — who were at a loss since Careem and Uber came in Pakistan — can get on-board with mLift and get riders over phone remotely. With mLift, usual taxi drivers will at once come in competition with app based ride-hailing services (Careem and Uber) and would be able to start earning from their existing cars.
Ride-hailing market in Pakistan is a huge market. More than 20-30 million Pakistanis commute daily without having their own car/ride. With Careem or Uber’s current expansion plans, it seems impossible to tap this market entirely, particularly when already operating transportation services are completely absent from their business plans.
mLift will address both the problems, i.e. by on-boarding the existing transporters and by stretching services in all parts of Pakistan without much effort.
mLift won’t require investors to buy cars and get on-board, instead, they will rely on currently available transporters and hence their growth can be humongous as compared to Careem and Uber.
mLift requires public-service license and a car to get anyone board. They verify the drivers by registering their thumb impressions and their phone numbers.
How mLift works
- Rider will dial 7555
- Based on riders’ location, a driver from vicinity will be connected to rider over phone
- Both rider and driver — when on call — will negotiate the trip price
- Driver will confirm the price and will confirm the ride
- Rider will pay the driver in cash at the end of the trip.
Launching with Islamabad and Rawalpindi
Jazz said that its launching mLift in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. They already have several hundred drivers who are on-board.
Company said that it plans to expand services to other cities very soon.
Exclusive to Jazz Customers for Now
mLift is currently an exclusive service for Jazz customers. However, with the launch of app, customers of other operators or anyone else will be able to use the service.
Good
Please. They can’t run a decent 3G and want to compete Careem let alone Uber?
Here is an insider info you’ll enjoy more than this article: Everyone over @ Jazz is tired and angry from that new-elect, over-enthusiastic CEO.
I’m intrigued
Hope : Network ki Tarha Nationwide Service Ho :
Lol, they will negotiate fares— really?? Believe me, drive will demand a lot at first to offer compensation. ;)
With cream and Uber, you know driver is not cheating. It’s fixed rate.
Yes ! the idea of negotiation is not good. they should come up with a fair compensation formula like uber and careem
we have been negotiating fares from taxi drivers for all our lives and now we are saying they won’t negotiate.
Animated video me jazz ne smartphone ki jagah Nokia 3310 ko kyun use kiya smartphone ka zamana hai aur nokia 3310… ye service bhi aisi hi hogi
Bhai yeh service hai he un k liye jo application use nahi kartey
bhai service normal 3310 jaisay phone per bhi chalti hai isi liay wo dikhaya hai. ager smartphone dikhatay tau log samajhtay sirf smartphone per chalti.
Itni dair main uber aa jati h… Yahan pe booking krty huwy hi 5 min lg jaty hain
the number written is wrong it is 7555
I think you used this service since its launch. can u please tell me your experience? I just dial 7555 to listen about this service 3 months ago.
No sir I didn’t use the service…it’s just I read the article somewhere else and was going through on propakistani article as well and found the mistake.
thats good but uber is still best.
no doubt
Well, how do you expect these drivers to know the exact drop-off location based on a phone call? We may end up having drivers getting the price wrong which would cause disputes with the drivers, and totally go against the “hassle free” scenario that Careem and Uber (to some extent) provide.
Rickshaw walay ko kaisey batatay ho bhai bethne se pehlay?
Yes, you’re right, as I had completely forgotten about the whole scenario of hailing a normal cab or a rickshaw (haha). But my point is that, for these companies to compete against Careem and Uber, they would need to make the pricing based on actual distance covered and time taken. Also, the drivers would need to be told a pickup location, and I can clearly see the hassle in getting them to a right spot. What would be the point of this service if I’ll be getting the exact same thing just by walking a little bit more (if I didn’t wanted to, I would rather call Careem or Uber right to the spot).
first part seems good Vice call bases i mean not every body use internet or smartphone user by “negotiation” part is serious issue i dont think this really going to work they could have some standard rates
Engaging riders with the ride is the main point, negotiation of fare comes later. Imagine you have to dial from home to pick you up, rather then going out in this hot weather & waiting for the ride.
Its a very old news. Jazz already launched this service . I am watching this from last 3 months.
Thanks to Nawaz Sharif. You forgot to troll this time.
Dude!!! you Guys were born with the ability to spread negativity across the globe.
If you read with your eyes open, they are trying to help the yellow cab community who is suffering a lot because of the presence of international players.
This is a real nice initiative, plus if you think, internet coverage is not blanket in Pakistan, so if you need a taxi where there is no internet, you will have shout out your heart to get a careem hopefully!!!
All in All good initiative!!! and hope it turns out well for you.
This yellow cab/Rickshaw communities are corrupt to the core. They don’t deserve anything sympathy. Last night I hired a Rickshaw from Hussainabad to Kaneez Fatima. We agreed on Rs. 250/-. When I gave him a Rs. 500/- note he returned me Rs.200. THIS IS CALLED BADMASHI. I was not in a mood to fight.
sach a very nice service .. no need of internet
negotiate fare!!!….well there you have it…..what careem/uber offer is a clean ride, without the worries of having to negotiate fare, and the charges are very reasonable as well. What taxi drivers, yellow cabs did was to throw away the fare meter installed in their cabs and then charge people what ever…..I landed at the Isb airport and this taxi driver comes to me, I tell him the location where i want to be dropped, and he replies “sir..although the fare for your destination is 1400 PKR, I will charge you 1200, you see we have to pay a certain fee to the airport authorities as well” I looked at his shabby ride, and booked a careem, reached my destination in 540 PKR……with out having to bargain any thing….I aint going to use the shabby old taxi even if jazz pays me to use it…
I think fare pricing won’t be justified, won’t be universal. This may help few of taxi drivers but at a location where you can easily get Air conditioned careem/uber without the limitation of explaining the location to driver and negotiating price, people won’t bother to opt this. I think if at all they want to help conventional taxi drivers and commuters, they should come up with relatively cheap but standard fare prices
Very Good. Competition make things better.
internet penetration is hardly 18% all in all. Moreover, not everybody knows or uses these apps. It will take some years for people to be comfortable with ride hailing apps like online shopping. This service should be a good initiatve
Seems like a glorified taxi service, negotiating fares over the phone doesn’t sound like a good idea at all. Jazz is a great network, but they’re focusing on all the wrong things.
Instead of this, they could’ve partnered up with either Careem or Uber and run a promotion for Jazz customers, or allow them to use Careem or Uber apps without any charges for data.
Stupid idea Jazz, very stupid.
If Jazz could focus on making, you know, their calls work, this wouldn’t be that bad
BUT NO PRICE REFGULATIONS :(
Careem and Uber face one common problem. Their drivers decline rides. They have started dictating customers by choosing their requests. Both these companies should not allow them to do this.
price negotiation is very bad. Drivers demand whatever they want.
Good service but jab call kare agla banda passanger lay kay ja raha ho then wo call sunaye ga ya passenger drop kare ga.
It won’t be like that. It would be connected via some helpline and that obviously will direct to the ones looking for it…
It is for warid customer as well, any info?
Warid is/will be no more!! You are just jazz now, just jazz!! Enjoy… ;)
Jazz no doubt is trying to target the non-smart phone user market. But as a data oriented company with 3G and 4G technology at its disposal it should focus on building the data based eco system and try to include more ppl in data driven eco system. Nonetheless; it is an untapped segment of ride hailing that needed focus, best of luck to the Jazz team and lets see how successful this IVR based model is in near future.
How JAZZ will make money in this type of business?
What about driver ratings and car model info? It seems to be a flop idea already.
good idea but their are few observations:
1. Dependability of JAZZ Network, for those who are not in JAzz are unable to use this service.
2. there is no standard tariff or rates, drivers may ask any rates.
3. how to measure the nearest location of the rider and driver without GPS. you can measure 5-15KM radius by tower. means more talking minutes will be consumed.
4. if they are really want to startup the ride hailing service instead to increase the number of Jazz customers or consumption of Talking minutes than they should use Toll Free Number for call.
5. how to track the rider location, if i want to track my family which started the ride then what should i do…..
Warid nay Jazz kay sath merge ho kar acha nahi kia.
Hamein andhay koeen (Well) mein dhakail dia.
3G aor 4G to door ke baat abb 2G bhe nahi aata.
Shame on Warid and Shame on Jazz.