Tootle – a new way to get/give a ride in Kathmandu

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In the days of blockade, we had done carpooling and it was a neat experience. It was exciting to give or get a free ride. Now carpooling has become a thing of past. The mode of transportation in the capital is limited to same traditional means of public vehicles. Moving around the capital isn’t that easy and public vehicles make it worst. With overcrowded buses and heavy traffic, our daily mobility is kind of limited. Renting a taxi isn’t that affordable on a daily basis. But a new ray of hope has lightened the city with the introduction of “Tootle”.

What is Tootle?

Tootle is a new initiative that is brought to serve the people in the valley. It is a cool and easy way of getting and giving rides within the capital. Since it is a service, it is not something for free. However, the charges are kind of minimal when compared with taxi fares. Currently, tootle rides can be booked only from 8 am to 8 pm.

How to get/give a tootle ride?

There are these two different Tootle apps that can be found in Google Play Store. Apple users need to wait for a little while but iOS apps are also just around the corner. Tootle and Tootle Partner are the apps you should download. If you just need to book a ride you can do so by signing up for the Tootle app. But if you want to earn some extra cash by offering a ride to others then you will need to have a Tootle Partner app on your phone. Signing up in any of these apps is simply. All you need to do is fill up some details and then you’ll be good to go. However, you need to upload a photo of your driving license to become a Tootle Partner.

Click me to Download Tootle

Click me to Download Tootle Partner

How does the Tootle app work?

Let’s start with how to book your tootle ride. Open the tootle app and login with your details (first time only). Then you select your pickup location and destination location and tap on “book”. The app will generate the shortest route for your ride and calculate your fare for the ride. You can choose your mode of payment which can be from tootle balance or by cash. You can select your time of departure that can be right now or 15/30/60 minutes later. Once, you hit “confirm”. You’ll get a unique ride code and a notification will be sent to online Tootle Partners and once a tootle partner accepts the book request. Your ride will be started as shortly as possible. Once you reach your destination, you’re supposed to give that ride code to your rider and that way Tootle team will be notified about your successful tootling.

What is Tootle Balance and what can you do with it?

Since Tootle is in its introductory phase, it is giving free tootle balance worth Rs. 500 for every new sign up. You can use that tootle balance for booking your next tootle ride. Once you run out of balance, you can top up your Tootle Balance via e-sewa or a Tootle Voucher. Plus more modes of payment for the top up are just down the road.

What about the Tootle Balance earned by the Tootle Partners?

Once you become a Tootle Partner you’ll get a free tootle balance worth Rs. 200. Once you start accepting Tootle booking and on every successful tootling you do, you’ll notice increments in your balance. You can then transfer your topped up balance to your e-sewa and use it your own way.

Verdict

Lastly, I’d like to address few dark sides of the Tootle. There are few things you might wanna consider. Will you trust a stranger to be your companion for a bike ride? I’ll let you decide that on your own. Yes, there are chances for things to go wrong. So, it is you who should be cautious. Plus, sometimes a book request might not be a genuine one. Someone could have pulled a prank on you. You might go accepting a book request and what if no one shows up. So it will be wiser for the developer to make some amount of balance reduction right while placing a ride request. That way, non-serious users won’t be placing the orders. To be a Tootle partner is not that easy, you’ve to turn on your mobile data and GPS all the time. I’m not sure how much of mobile balance it’s gonna cost you. One thing I’m sure of is there will be a noticeable drain in your phone’s battery status.

Well, it is an appreciable initiative that needs your support. So, I want you guys to try it yourself and help redefine the way one moves around the capital. I’ve tried the apps myself and they were pretty user-friendly and easy to catch with. Honestly speaking, I haven’t done a tootling yet but I’m looking forward to doing one this evening on my way back home. It’s always good to earn some extra cash and have a companion on my usual route. But before booking a tootle, make sure you put a mask in your pocket, you know how dusty Kathmandu roads have become lately. Happy Tootling.

What do you think of this new initiative? Will it be something Epic or Fail? Let us know in the comments down below.