Operator Wants To Be On Demand Around The World

When London-based operator Reza Choudhury first saw the potential of Uber and Lyft in 2010, he was inspired. The regular attendee of LCT trade shows set out to evaluate the on-demand technology potential in the chauffeured market and any related concepts.

“I wanted to see how this new technology would play out and if I had the means to create the same sort of technology for pre-bookings,” says Choudhury, owner and CEO of Reliance Worldwide Logistics Solutions. “What Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and Logan Green and John Zimmer, co-founders of Lyft, introduced into the transportation market was a game changer in our industry. To connect a consumer to a driver through their booking app was totally inspiring and brilliant innovative thinking.”

After two years of researching various platforms, he realized he would not have the time or the funds to create an on-demand/pre-booking platform. So he looked for a technology vendor to collaborate with, and while attending the 2013 LCT Show East in Atlantic City, came across Dashride CEO Nadav Ullman and his company’s mobile app software expertise. Dashride created a custom-based platform for Reliance to become a provider of premium chauffeured services for high-end clients and organizations.

Reliance Worldwide CEO Reza Choudhury, who received the 2016 LCT Global Operator of the Year Award, has been investigating and pursuing a global on-demand chauffeured app since 2010. (LCT photo)

Ride Rollout
Now the team is getting ready to launch a global on-demand chauffeured app called HYRYDE — Powered by Reliance. HYRYDE is geared only to the premium chauffeured market, defined as the $100+ price range for an airport transfer, and not for Uber-type taxi companies. It’s positioned to attract corporate clients and employees, particularly executives and managers and their travel-planning assistants. As of this writing, the app was set to start rolling out to 16 cities worldwide in mid- to late March in tandem with a publicity push.

“I met with Nadav Ullman and he ran through the system with me in brief and I immediately liked what I saw,” recalls Choudhury, also a 2016 LCT Global Operator of the Year Award winner. “I liked Nadav’s positive energy and the potential it had. I said to Nadav at the time we won’t be ready to switch to the platform until he made it Europe compatible with other features. He had to make it more robust and user friendly for the U.K. and markets worldwide.”

Tech Enabler

Nadav Ullman, CEO of Dashride and developer of HYRYDE (LCT photo from Dashride)

Dashride (www.dashride.com), a mobile-first dispatching software provider, developed and customized the branded app portal for Reliance. “It can be on-demand, pre-scheduled, or both,” Ullman says. “You pick the cities and partners to build your own global affiliate network under your own brand. It doesn’t silo you off from working with others.”

In the case of HYRYDE, Reliance uses its core affiliate network and then builds on it with added partners. The system gives Reliance the flexibility to make unique payment and operational arrangements with each affiliate or partner, and customize all farm-in and farm-out terms, Ullman said. “We collaborated in a lot of ways to design the most effective way to establish affiliate connections. The better your affiliates do, the better you do.”

HYRYDE could eventually integrate with the API (application program interface) of other platforms and chauffeur apps. Since Dashride develops customizable white label app brands, it’s up to each client to determine the scope of integration.

Pricing
HYRYDE draws on Reliance’s affiliate network and partners. “We have been communicating through emails and conference calls to make sure we were all on the same page about the benefits it will bring to all in the long run,” Choudhury says. “It paid to listen to other operators in different markets to understand local issues, legislation, and how TNCs were affecting the local markets, and how they were promoting and driving their companies forward.”

Individual local partners set their rates, ensuring more contentment, loyalty, and quality of service, Choudhury says. All partners are paid by corporate credit card. For clients, HYRYDE will offer rate quotes worldwide that can be converted into desired currency amounts. The app offers three vehicle classes: Business, First, and SUV. While the app is geared toward the B2B market, it can be downloaded and used by consumer/retail clients.

Vetting
Chauffeurs must apply online through the Reliance website, and depending on the city selected, the application goes directly to the local partner for verification. Local partners do the vetting and screening consistent with their practices and put them through app training.

“This process works great for HYRYDE because the management of the chauffeurs and any legislation changes will be handled by the local partner as licensed operators adhering to best practices,” Choudhury says.

The key advantage is the app network relies on service quality already in place and practiced for many years among the affiliates and partners. All chauffeurs are licensed, insured with the correct liability coverage, and criminal background and security checked by local and state government regulators.

Booking
As each market grows organically, the number of vehicles required to go on-demand is estimated at about 500 per market. The app now requires a two-hour window to get a vehicle to a client subject to availability with the current inventory. As the participating vehicle count grows, HYRYDE would look to have vehicles available within a 10-minute window.

Partners and affiliates can maximize their fleet inventory automatically by making their chauffeurs available during downtime, while adding extra revenue through the app, Choudhury says.

For corporate clients, the new platform would provide users the ability to pre-book or book instantly on the web-portal or mobile app, and view chauffeur profiles. For example, an executive and his administrative assistant could simultaneously view available times, chauffeurs, and vehicles via a concierge portal, and then monitor arrival and pick-up via real-time GPS tracking. An instant text messaging feature allows a chauffeur and client to communicate, eliminating the need for phone calls if a pick-up location changes.

“The days of sending emails back and forth with names and confirmations all disappear once you get the on-demand portal,” Choudhury says. “The efficiencies are 100%. Once the ride is closed, a bill is generated immediately and invoices appear. We offer real-time GPS tracking of chauffeurs, billing, and messenger services.”