Our roads are set to get even busier with Ola, a popular Indian ride-sharing platform, announcing today it will expand its services to Australia in early 2018, rolling out in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

Ola’s CEO and co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal, says: “We are very excited about launching Ola in Australia and see immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem, which embraces new technology and innovation.”

Founded in 2011 by Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, Ola works much like other ride-share providers Uber and Taxify connecting users to a range of transport options through an app. Like Uber, it has also been accused of cutting driver pay.

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In India, the platform is used by 125 million people, with one million drivers registered across more than 110 cities. On average, Ola provides approximately one billion rides a year via cars, as well as motorbike taxis, shuttles, auto-rickshaws and, most recently, bicycles, which at this stage are only offered at Indian Universities.

Ola says its success comes down to the personalised experience it provides, and its driver-partner focus. In 2016, the company launched Ola Play, providing a range of electronic entertainment for trips, powered by partners such as Microsoft, Sony Liv and Apple Music.

Ola hasn’t yet built a local team but has opened registrations for Australian private vehicle owners in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

.olacabs.com