Performance Improvement of Merus Cab Dispatching System

Writing by admin on Friday, 31 of December, 2010 at 1:12 pm

Meru Cab Company is Indias largest and finest cab service provider. The company offers world class services and operates its fleet of modern air-conditioned GPS enabled cabs in four major Indian cities. The core business of Meru is highly technology enabled with a fully automated cab dispatch system that operates on technologies like GPS, GPRS, GIS, IVR, web, SMS etc. The system automatically dispatches over 15000 bookings every day. In order to support the rapid scale up demand, the client built an inhouse cab dispatch application with enhanced features to meet its business requirements. Meru acknowledged that there was an immediate need to test, fine-tune, and plan capacity for their new cab dispatching system to be absolutely sure of the application performance even when the business scales to tens of thousands of cabs on a single instance of the system. The challenge was to simulate a close to real time scenario that included call center operation (Web/Web services interfaces), thousands of cab devices Mobile Data Terminals (MDT devices that poll and update data to servers over GPRS), and real time monitoring (Web interface) of the systems. The interfaces were active round the clock and systems were expected to provide uninterrupted support for operations at all times. AppLabs was engaged by the client to ensure responsiveness, reliability, and scalability of their new cab dispatching system. AppLabs team strategized the simulation of various interfaces mutually and individually as part of test planning. The test team developed simulation scripts using Borland Silk Performer on all active interfaces which included: Web service simulation (Dispatch job creation) Web (HTTP/HTTPs)/application simulation (Cab dispatch monitoring) TCP/IP simulation (Cab MDT devices with 60-second polling and other frequent messaging)

Scripts and scenarios were built in a very modular fashion to help simulate various realistic and nonrealistic load simulations for performance benchmarking and scalability checks in the shortest possible time. Tests were conducted in parallel with the script development phase to save time and system tune each application module. Performance statistics were monitored at various levels along with functional verification of transactions at every application layer. AppLabs team evaluated outgoing and incoming message rates of COMM server (Communication server for GPRS traffic) against the simulated load (of MDT device) and application server. AppLabs pointed out key performance improvement indicators and offered suggestions and recommendations to improve the performance and scalability of applications at various tiers such as operating system changes, application server configuration, and MQ series. The team also projected the peak point in terms of number of MDT devices the maximum rate in which a cab dispatch can take place for the current infrastructure. The testing methodologies developed and implemented by AppLabs worked to maximize reliability in the clients cab dispatching system. The highly flexible task scheduling, high adaptability and quick decision making of the AppLabs team has benefited the clients development team to a great extent.

Case Study

Case Study | Meru

We were really impressed by the deep understanding the AppLabs team brought in the testing and performance fine tuning domain. In a standard application testing, the load is considered in terms of the number of users, whereas in our case the real load is the number of cabs connecting over GPRS. AppLabs understood our unique requirements pretty quickly and helped tweak the test scripts to simulate the MDT connections. AppLabs team even helped us with useful recommendations to improve the performance. We thank AppLabs for the highly flexible and professionally trained team.

Nilesh Sangoi, Chief Technology Officer, Meru Cab Company

The Success Story of Meru Cabs Case Study For Entrepreneurs

By sinha on 22, June, 2010 | Topic: Entrepreneurship

There are lot of startups who start their journey with lot of enthusiasm, however over the period of time they lose the momentum due to competition or lesser consumer acceptance, wafer thin margins etc. However MERU cabs is a one great story from which one can learn a lot of things. As mentioned in management books one should offer a product/ service which fulfils consumer need or at least makes him feel that his need is fulfilled. So what is the problem that MERU has addressed?

Problem Statement
Whenever one has to travel by private transport, one is at mercy of taxi/auto drivers. One has to make several attempts to get the taxi/auto to the desired destination. If you are travelling for a longer distance, god help you. What MERU has done is,they gave the consumer the sense of reliability that they will get a cab to any destination within the city. I feel its a BIG positive factor, i.e. of trust.

Technology
Whenever we talk about MERU cabs, we talk about their technology, GPS, call center for order booking etc. Yes technology has played a vital role in MERUs success; however there are many important factors that have helped MERU to be successful. I feel technology can enable businesses however mere good technology wont lead to a successful business. Lets look at what are the other factors

The Economical Factor

I was traveling by MERU cab and was chatting to driver named Mishraji. Mishraji told me that MERU cab is 60% costlier than normal taxis. However the people still prefer MERU, due to its punctuality, readiness to go to any corner of the city and overall customer service. Though I feel 60% is too high. According to me MERU is 5 to 10% costlier than normal taxis So the consumer will pay you premium, provided you make him feel that he is getting value for money

Compensation
Every company feels that they are paying the best to their employees and every employee feels that he is underpaid. However in case of MERU, the employee pays the company and both are happy. I will explain briefly the MERU model MERU hires the driver with certain driving experience and train him on soft skills.
A contract is signed between MERU and the driver.

MERU buys the car and gives it to the driver The fuel cost has to be borne by the driver The maintenance of the car is taken care by MERU MERU helps the drivers by providing the booking to drivers through their call centers The driver is free to take fares if he doesnt get the fare from the call center In return the driver provides Rs. 800 per day to MERU Whatever the driver earns above these 800 rupees is his own income.

Now MERU has enabled the employees to earn what they want to earn and they have not only given them employment but a business Provide employees the opportunity to earn to their potential. (May be through Performance Linked Incentives or any other innovative way that fits your business)

The Employee Trust

While talking to Mishraji, he told me that the company CEO MR. Gupta is a great person and he is happy to work for a person like him. When I asked him about the competition, he said, in Mumbai nobody comes close to MERU. As per him Easy Cabs tried to replicate the MERUs business model, however they are not very successful. He told that Easy Cabs have 400 cabs, whereas MERU has close to 1700 cabs. Easy Cabs drivers have to pay 900 rupees to Easy Cabs and also bear the cost of fuel as well as maintenance of the vehicles. Whereas in MERU the driver have to pay 800 rupees and the company bears the cost of maintenance. This shows how much Mishraji believed in his company. The point which I am trying to drive here is that the employee should believe in the management & the company for it to succeed, i.e. walk the talk. So if one gets these things right for a business, it can lead to a successful business. Well its easy to say but its difficult to implement and thats why all the startups are not successful the way MERU is. V-Link, a fleet management company has launched Meru, a GPS enabled metered radio taxi service in Mumbai. India Value Fund, a private equity fund with a diverse set of investments in India such as, Biocon, Trinethra and Radio City has recently taken a stake in V-Link and is providing management support besides requisite equity infusion. IVF has been instrumental in building several valuable businesses in the past. The company plans to launch its operations in Mumbai, as a part of the Maharashtra governments fleet taxi service and subsequently in Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. It initially launched 150 taxis and plans to increase this to 1,000 by year end and further plans to manage a fleet of at least 10,000 cabs across major metros of the country in the next three to five years. Initally the fleet consists of Maruti Esteems. Neeraj Gupta, Managing Director of V-Link Group says, V Link has satisfied the criteria laid down by the Government of Maharashtra and is one of the players selected by the Government as an operator of radio taxis in Mumbai. Services such as Dial-a-Meru, SMS-a-Meru and Meru-on-theNet will also be available shortly.

Anjan Deb, Chief Operating Officer, V-Link Group adds, People will commute in a modern, air-conditioned taxi, backed by GPS-based dispatch technology. They will now be able to call for a taxi at a desired place of pick-up, with 100 percent assurance of a tamper-proof meter and a printed receipt. Emergency security features are installed in the car for complete passenger safety. The fleet of Meru cabs operates on clean, green fuel thus contributing to keeping Mumbai clean and fresh. V-Link plans to offer an advance booking system for Meru which allows a customer to book for a cab on the phone or on the Net in advance and get a cab at their appointed location from anywhere within the city of Mumbai. Since the business is ramping up gradually, it is likely that the initial advance booking system will be available only in limited parts of the city, but would quickly be made available across the entire city. Additionally, customers will also be able to hail a Meru cab by the curbside, or hire a Meru cab parked at several pre-designated locations across the city. V-Link will use their technology for ensuring that there is a responsive Lost and Found tracking system in place so that any item left behind inadvertently in a Meru cab can be traced to the vehicle that the reporting customer has used. Every fare that a Meru collects is digitally transmitted back to the control centre where it is recorded for reference. Each cab has an onboard printer which gives a printed receipt for the fare collected. The digital tamper proof meter on board and the printed receipt for fares ensure that the passenger pays strictly in line with the fare structure and no more. The fare structure of the Meru service is in line with the fares prescribed by the Department of Transport, Government of Maharashtra and is at a premium to the existing fares of the yellow top cabs, in line with the superior service that is being provided by Meru.
Case Study

The Company | Meru Cab Company is Indias largest and finest cab service provider. The company offers world class services and operates its fleet of modern air-conditioned GPS enabled cabs in four major Indian cities Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Hyderabad. Within a span of 3 years, the company has grown exponentially by owning and operating 5000+ cabs in these 4 cities. Based on the quality of services offered, the company has received numerous awards including NASSCOM CNBC TV-18 IT User Award for 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The Challenge | The core business of Meru is highly technology enabled with a fully automated cab dispatch system that operates on technologies like GPS, GPRS, GIS, IVR, web, SMS etc. The system

automatically dispatches over 15000 bookings every day. In order to support the rapid scale up demand, the client built an in-house cab dispatch application with enhanced features to meet its business requirements. Meru acknowledged that there was an immediate need to test, fine-tune, and plan capacity for their new cab dispatching system to be absolutely sure of the application performance even when the business scales to tens of thousands of cabs on a single instance of the system.

The challenge was to simulate a close to real time scenario that included call center operation (Web/Web services interfaces), thousands of cab devices Mobile Data Terminals (MDT devices that poll and update data to servers over GPRS), and real time monitoring (Web interface) of the systems. The interfaces were active round the clock and systems were expected to provide uninterrupted support for operations at all times. Based on AppLabs extensive experience and expertise in Performance Testing, the client engaged AppLabs to ensure responsiveness, reliability, and scalability of their new cab dispatching system.

The Solution | AppLabs team strategized the simulation of various interfaces mutually and individually as part of test planning. The test team developed simulation scripts using Borland Silk Performer on all active interfaces which included:

Web service simulation (Dispatch job creation)

Web (HTTP/HTTPs)/application simulation (Cab dispatch

monitoring)

TCP/IP simulation (Cab MDT devices with 60-second

polling and other frequent messaging)

Scripts and scenarios were built in a very modular fashion to help simulate various realistic and non-realistic load simulations for performance benchmarking and scalability checks in the shortest possible time.

Tests were conducted in parallel with the script development phase to save time and system tune each application module. AppLabs team worked closely with the development team to ensure and build validation techniques for all types of requests scripted for simulations.

There was a 100% success rate on the benchmark tests conducted. Performance statistics were monitored at various levels along with functional verification of transactions at every application layer. AppLabs team evaluated outgoing and incoming message rates of COMM server (Communication server for GPRS traffic) against the simulated load (of MDT device) and application server.

AppLabs pointed out key performance improvement indicators and offered suggestions and recommendations to improve the performance and scalability of applications at various tiers such as operating system changes, application server configuration, and MQ series. The team

also projected the peak point in terms of number of MDT devices - the maximum rate in which a cab dispatch can take place for the current infrastructure.

The Results | The testing methodologies developed and implemented by AppLabs worked to maximize reliability in the clients cab dispatching system. The team at AppLabs simulated complex performance scenarios as desired by the client and identified all major performance risks in terms of scalability, endurance, and capacity. There was excellent collaboration between the client and AppLabs team. The highly flexible task scheduling, high adaptability and quick decision making of the AppLabs team has benefited the clients development team to a great extent.

Reflecting on the recommendations by AppLabs and results of the test process, Nilesh Sangoi, Chief Technology Officer, Meru Cab Company commented,

We were really impressed by the deep understanding the AppLabs team brought in the testing and performance fine tuning domain. In a standard application testing, the load is considered in terms of the number of users, whereas in our case the real load is the number of cabs connecting over GPRS. AppLabs understood our unique requirements pretty quickly and helped tweak the test scripts to simulate the MDT connections. AppLabs team even helped us with useful recommendations to improve the performance. We thank AppLabs for the highly flexible and professionally trained

team.

AppLabs.com

eru Cabs ERP implementation methodology

Nilesh Sangoi
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After automating Meru Cab Company Pvt. Ltd.s (Meru Cabs) front-end operations for customer management and integrating the global positioning system (GPS) with the interactive voice response (IVR), we felt the need for an integrated backend system. Thus, we decided to implement an ERP system and accordingly roped in Accenture, which carried out an effective ERP implementation methodology between June 2009 and February 2010.

Meru Cabs implemented Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1 ERP in the areas of finance, human resources, and enterprise asset management (fleet management). The company followed a five step ERP implementation methodology as discussed below: 1.Business process management: As part of the ERP implementation methodology, crystallize the business processes in black and white and get rid of grey areas before initiating the project. This will help implement the project within the stipulated time and budget. Meru Cabs engaged Price WaterHouse Coopers (PwC) to help it define as is processes, to be processes and raise a structured request for proposal (RFP). 2.People alignment: An ERP implementation touches all areas of an organization and should hence, have an absolute ownership and sponsorship
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right at the very top. Regular communication from the top management helps employees understand the significance and expected impact of the new system. Softer aspects related to people play a crucial part in ERP implementation methodology. 3.Project management office: The ERP implementation methodology requires a structured approach. Create a project management office with a full-time project manager from the organization heading it. A core team should be formed with dedicated full-time resources from each key function and information technology department. The team should meet regularly to formally review the project status. You should also form a high level steering committee which consists of key members of the senior management from the organization as well as the system integration partner. The core team should escalate major unresolved issues to the steering committee, which should meet at least every quarter or more frequently based on need. 4.Training the users: The next step of the ERP implementation methodology involves conducting multiple as-is and to-be workshops with key stakeholders. Detailed use case scenarios should be documented. Multiple conference room pilots (CRPs) should be held to enable the key team members visualize the new system. Sign off on documents and CRP sessions should be obtained from key stakeholders. The data migration plans should be submitted well in advance so that the team gets adequate time for preparation. User training is the most crucial area that often gets neglected. At Meru Cabs, we chose the train the trainer approach. Training can be given in multiple phases before and after the implementation. While migrating from the legacy system, parallel go-live should be considered for a brief period. 5.Post-implementation review: The last step of the ERP implementation methodology is post the go-live status. A detailed review should be carried out to ensure that the organization achieves the benefits that were set at the start of the project.

Digitax supplies V-Link MERU Taxi with 3.000 3GMDTs

Digitax Automotive Electronics supplies V-Link MERU Taxi with 3.000 3GMDT Mobile data terminals, which are already installed and in use in the entire fleet of taxis in the MERU project. MERU is one of the most important taxi companies in India; its services were initially extended to provide services in the city Mumbai, and this project is now expanding to Hyderabad, Delhi and Bangalore. It currently has a fleet of over 3000 vehicles which will increase because of this ambitious project, as stated in an interview by the General Manager of V-Link, Mr. Neeraj Gupta, We are in a unique position to expand our radio taxi business across India as we have gained tremendous experience in the demanding Mumbai market over the last year. We have engaged the best-in-c1ass service providers to build the service delivery and technology elements for this project. The extension of this project to Bangalore is reinforced by a contract signed in February of this year for the provision of its taxi transport services in the citys new International airport; in fact, V-Link had the only Radio Taxi service which satisfied all the governmental criteria for the provision of this type of service in Bangalore. In Bangalore & Hyderabad, our taxis are dedicated far airport passenger services far the upcoming International Airport in the city. This radio taxi service does not only caters to the demand of passengers commuting to and from the new International airport, but is also available to the city's public transport. The strong point of the services provided by MERU is the high level of technology used for their equipment; thanks to the installation of Digitax 3GMDT mobile data terminals, the transmission of data via a GPRS network, and localisation via GPS satellites, the company is in fact able to enormously increase the quality of its services. There is a Mobile Communication Terminal (MCT) inside each taxi which has a built-in GPS receiver, LCD display screen and GPRS connectivity, which helps the driver to communicate with the control room the director added, and in the terminal latitude and longitude information is plotted on GIS map far real-time tracking. The company provides its customers with a series of excellent services, as well as the certainness of the correctness of the fare applied to each customer, thanks to the robustness of the digital anti intrusion device which all the taximeters are equipped with; also, the fares relative to all the trips are communicated and recorded in the control centre. V Link also uses its technology for ensuring that there is a very responsive "Lost and Found" tracking system in place so that any item left behind inadvertently in a Meru cab can be traced to the vehicle that the reporting customer has used. Another feature is the Panic button that is installed in the Meru car, which enables the driver to connect to the Control Centre in case of an emergency or mishap. Digitax Automotive Electronics has been asked to participate in this important project, which is an excellent test for the launching and use of its products by the by now technological and advanced usage required by transport services in India.

eru Cabs To Provide Free Internet To Travellers In Association With MTS

by Debjit | Monday, 14th Feb 2011 | Comment | Print |
We have heard about in-flight wi-fi services and internet earlier. Also there was some news about Indian Railways getting free internet connection to all passengers on all its express trains. However what Meru Cabs (a private cab service in the various metros of India) has announced simply sounds to be an icing on the cake. Meru Cabs has partnered with MTS Telecom to provide free internet services to all travellers using its cab services. As of now the service has been launched only in New Delhi and Mumbai. However Meru Cabs plans to launch this in other major cities soon Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

How does it Work?

If you are travelling in a Meru Cab in one of the above mentioned cities in India then all you need to do in order to get free internet service in the cab is just ask the cab driver for an MBlaze dongle. Just plug in the data card dongle into your laptop / netbook and you will be instantly connected to the Internet with unlimited data download.

But, Will this Work?

Today most of the users in India who carry a laptop / netbook along with them have a mobile internet solution, be it the 3G or the USB internet dongles from various Internet Service Providers in India. So, when an user is already using one, installing the MTS MBlaze may be a problem on their laptops. The unlimited data plan may lure users, but then on an average travelers do not take cab rides of duration more than 1 1.5 hours. So, only time will tell if this initiative from MTS will really work.

Meru About Us

Meru Cabs was one of the first companies to launch metered "Radio cabs" in India under its brand "Meru." First launched in Mumbai in April 2007, Meru Cabs has grown exponentially terms of fleet size and geographical presence. Customers benefit from a relaxed commute in a well equipped, air-conditioned cab, which is readily available 24/7. The printed receipt at the end of the ride assures the customer of tamper proof billing. Headquartered in Mumbai, Meru Cab Company provides a radio taxi service in the four key metros of India - Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Meru Cabs delivers a reliable taxi service by concentrating on each touch point with its customers and devising systems, processes or technologies that will deliver a reliable interface. Meru Cabs uses GPS/GPRS enabled technology in all of the cabs to ensure complete passenger safety. Each Meru cab is owned & maintained by Meru Cab Company Private Limited. The name "Meru" is derived from the symbolic mountain of the gods, an icon of unshakeable reliability and character - a core value which lies at the heart of Meru's promise to its customers.

Meru - A spectacular growth story

Meru Cabs has grown consistently in its 3 year history in terms of the fleet, people revenues and popularity.

Meru Cabs launched in Mumbai with 45 cabs in 2007; expanded to three other cities in 2008 (Delhi, Hyderabad & Bengaluru) Scaled to a fleet of 5,000+ cabs in three years, across Mumbai (1800), Delhi (1200), Hyderabad (800) and Bengaluru (1200) The 3rd largest "Radio Taxi" company in the world The largest operator in each of the cities where it operates More than 20,000 trips per day Serves more than 1 million passengers a month

Most preferred choice of commuters in all cities. 90% customer satisfaction in 3rd party audit One of the few transportation companies in the world to deploy an Oracle ERP, Siebel CRM and an Aspect IVR The only taxi operator in India to partner with the airports at Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad & Bengaluru The only company in India to have won the 'Best IT User Awards' by NASSCOM CNBC TV-18 in 2008, 2009 & 2010

Benefits to Society
We at Meru Cabs believe that business enterprise is never complete if it does not make a contribution beyond building a good business. Our constant endeavour will be to raise the standards for everyone who comes into contact with Meru Cabs. For those who drive our vehicles, we provide an opportunity to be part of a modern fleet that places the highest premium on vehicle uptime and vehicle quality. Our fleet engineers work 24/7 to ensure that our chauffeurs have the minimum disruption by way of vehicles not being serviceable. Our backend technology, comparable to the best in the world, ensures that we connect customers to our cabs better than anyone else does, ensuring steady business for our chauffeurs. Accident insurance, medical insurance, also allows them to have a safety net to provide security in the event of an untoward incident. Our concern for our chauffeurs is to ensure that by making them earn a respectable livelihood, with good economics, we would be able to make their personal lives better. For those who avail our service, Meru Cabs offers a cab service that emulates the best taxi service norms across the world. We try our best to ensure availability; our onboard technology ensures that a customer pays a fair fare with a printed receipt for each transaction. We try to ensure that your need for commuting is met every time you need to commute and in as hassle free a manner as possible. Our cabs use environment friendly fuel. This is especially true in cities where CNG is easily available.

Meru Training Academy

We believe that the critical difference between an ordinary taxi service and a Meru Cabs service lies in the investment that we make into training our chauffeurs. Our stringent conditions for engaging a chauffeur include address verification, complete medical check up, testing of driving skills, ability to manage the on board technology on our vehicles, familiarity with your city and all the mandatory licensing criteria. And if a potential chauffeur meets these requirements, we put them through an intensive 5-day training program where we impart knowledge on customer service, hygiene, safe driving habits and how to handle an emergency.

Meru success reaffirms IT versatality December 23, 2007 6:45 PM Vandana Sharma The success of Meru, the new call taxi service launched last year by V-Link Taxi Pvt. Ltd, has reaffirmed the belief that IT can be deployed in just about any domain, and can lead to phenomenal gains. Someone has rightly said, "Technology does not drive change-it enables change." This has been the case with V-Link Taxis Pvt. Ltd. V-Link experienced a transformation in the way it carried out its operations after deploying the GPS-based system to track the newly-launched fleet of cabs called Meru, in Mumbai. Describing the need for the solution, Nilesh Sangoi, CTO, V-Link, reveals, "In a call-taxi operation, tracking the location of each available taxi is real-time is extremely critical. It would not be possible to scale up beyond 200-300 taxis with manual tracking, with the use of walkie-talkies or mobile phones. Hence we have opted for technology that is scalable for thousands of taxis, and is a highly successful model in countries like Singapore." For its vehicles, V-Link has deployed different technologies from a number of different firms in India and abroad, including Dubai and Singapore. "We use high-end GPS and GPRS (general packet radio service) technology in our Maruti Esteem vehicles. The technology has been specially deployed to ensure that passengers receive a timely response and are picked up and dropped at their destinations without any unnecessary delay," reveals Sangoi. "Our vision is to give urban commuters in India a world-class travelling experience, by using a technology that has evolved in developed countries over the past twenty years," adds Sangoi. Each Meru is fitted with a GPS-based tracking device that helps in identifying the taxi closest to a customer pick-up location. Customer addresses and other details are communicated back to the chauffeur on the display screen, avoiding the use of outdated radio trunking (walkietalkie) technology, or the use of a mobile. Each taxi is also fitted with a tamper-proof digital fare meter as per the tariff set by the government. The location information and fare details are continuously being sent back to the control room by each taxi, for tracking purposes. Customers also get a printed receipt of the fare at the end of the trip. Each taxi has a mobile communication terminal (MCT), which has a built-in GPRS receiver, LCD (liquid crystal display) screen and GPRS connectivity, which helps communicate with the control room. "Our data centre hosts a set of communication servers, application servers, and database servers, which are in constant touch with each taxi through GPRS. The latitude and longitude information is plotted on a GIS (Geographical Information Systems) map for real-time tracking," says Sangoi. Hail a Meru with ease The deployed technology enables the customer to book a cab through various media like the telephone, the Internet, or SMS, apart from getting a cab by the kerb. It also helps Meru to locate and send the closest available cab to the customer, thereby reducing the turnaround time for the customer. Says Sangoi, "Our customers in Mumbai can book a modern AC cab either by calling our call centre at 44 22 44 22, by booking online (www.merucabs.com), or by SMSing MERU to 57575. Passengers can hire our cabs for a flag-down charge of Rs. 15, while the per km charge is Rs. 13. Our fares are in compliance with those laid down by the government of Maharashtra. The fare starts from the location of customer pick-up even though the taxi comes from a distant location."

There is also a provision to deal with situations if a passenger leaves any of his belongings in the Meru cab. A passenger can lodge a complaint about the items left behind either by contacting the call center, or filling up the details on our website. The control room then tracks the vehicle and tries to locate the item and return it to the customer as soon as possible. "Our cabs generally benefit the public at large; any one who looks for a mode of transport that is road-worthy, and at the same time expects value-for money, looks at Meru as a transport option. Recently, our cabs have seen a huge demand from late-night party-goers who avoid driving their own cars and see us as a comfortable transport alternative. Our cabs are also in heavy demand during office hours," reveals Sangoi. After Mumbai, V-Link has plans to launch Meru cabs in other major cities of the country. V-Link Taxis Pvt. Ltd. is a subsidiary of the V-Link Group, a corporate fleet management services organization that is headquartered in Mumbai, and operates in five major cities Mumbai, Delhi and NCR, Pune, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The company manages a fleet of over 1,500 vehicles running an aggregate of more than 150,000 km a day, and transports the employees of some of India's leading companies. "We have invested heavily in technology to provide best-in-class and highly reliable customer service. The investments are in line with the needs of today's competitive and swift-moving world." concludes Sangoi. In the future too, the organization aims to continuously upgrade its IT infrastructure to keep pace with the times.
Meru About Us The Meru Advantage

At Meru Cabs, we strive deliver on our core promise of 'unshakable reliability' by devising systems, processes or technologies that will set a reliable interface for our customers. Every Meru Cab come with the following features:
Modern, brand-new, air-conditioned comfortable cabs Usage of clean green fuel - resulting in a cleaner environment and reduced pollution Round the clock availability of cabs backed by a location tracking GPS - based dispatch technology and a 24x7 Customer Service Center. This means a quicker pickup and faster response time to your call for a cab Tamper-proof digital cab meters, integrated with the GPS-system to ensure every fare is tracked, thereby ruling out any possibility of over charging by the chauffeur A printed receipt for every fare, providing details of distance traveled and total amount payable Thoroughly trained chauffeurs in a smart Meru uniform, fluent in English and Hindi Ability to track the location of the cab 'real-time' through the GPS technology provides security in case of an emergency Routine spot checks by our patrol vans to ensure highest standards of service Preferred taxi service at airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru

Meru Media Centre On The Highway To Success

On The Highway To Success June 3, 2008 10:19 AM The Man Who Transformed The Cab Industry NIRANJAN MUDHOLKAR He started with an auto workshop in 1998 that was set up with money borrowed from his wife. Thanks to the good service provided by this workshop, it soon had a list of elite clients with annual maintenance contracts. Neeraj gupta, who started this workshop, had bigger dreams; he was eyeing the transport business. He pursued his dream with dedication and soon bagged 5 - year contract to operate 18-seater coaches with Tata Infotech. This led to start of Travel Link Group (Later V-Link group). When Tata Infotec tied up with Sitel to set up its call centre, the travel Link group seized the opportunity and started operating cab services to the employees of the call centre. At that time, Travel Link had about 600 cabs (taxis) in its fleet. "The biggest motivation was to enter an industry, which was not much explored and then to try and emerge as the leader. The biggest challenge was to give competition to Black and Yellow cabs," says Mr. Gupta. Today, as the MD of V-Link Taxis Pvt Ltd, he explains why he chose the cab industry. "This sector had huge potential and was waiting to be tapped," he informs. With the number of cabs in his fleet increasing, Mr. Gupta then launched a company website. The business soon spread to cities like Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. "In 2006, we were given an offer letter by the transport ministry to introduce radio enabled taxis. The company kept on growing in leaps and bounds and provided services to some 35 odd blue chip companies on contractual basis." He recalls. One of the key reasons for success in any business is way you differentiate your product or service in the market. "The USP of V-Link Taxis Pvt Ltd is the GPS and the GPRS facility, which it has in all its cabs thereby making it different from the other cabs," remarks Mr. Gupta. Incidentally, V-Link is also the first company in India, which enabled customers to book cab through its call centre and through the internet. "All this taken into account V-Link Taxis emerged as a leader in this industry," says Mr. Gupta. An organized taxi business was indeed an excellent idea. Equally excellent was the way it was executed and built upon. Its not easy; but its not impossible too. "The business model has to be well planned so that there are no glitches in its implementation. Also, what matters is the support from your subordinates and peers to make it work," says Mr. Gupta. Becoming an entrepreneur was a conscious decision for Mr. Gupta "Being a commerce graduate and coming from business family; it's always the preferred choice to start one's business," he says. Moreover, his father motivated Mr. Gupta to start his own business. Of course, entrepreneurship is not an easy journey. "To gain something, you need to lose certain things," says Mr. Gupta. And spending quality time with family is one of the things that an entrepreneur usually has to sacrifice. "As far as my life is concerned, I have a pretty understanding family who also supports me in my difficult times," he says. With a fleet of 1600 taxis across India and presence in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad, Mr. Gupta aims to make his company the leader in cab industry. He has a simple mantra of success - self belief, focus on goal and giving 100 %. His advice to budding entrepreneurs is the equally same. He says, "Avoid all shortcuts as they always lead to dead ends. It's only your h

The success of Meru, the new call taxi service launched last year by V-Link Taxi Pvt Ltd, has reaffirmed the belief that IT can be deployed in just about any domain, and can lead to phenomenal gains. Someone has rightly said, Technology does not drive changeit enables change. This has been the case with V-Link Taxis Pvt Ltd. V-Link experienced a transformation in the way it carried out its operations after deploying the GPS-based system to track the newly-launched fleet of cabs called Meru, in Mumbai. Describing the need for the solution, Nilesh Sangoi, CTO, V-Link, reveals, In a call-taxi operation, tracking the location of each available taxi in real-time is extremely critical. It would not be possible to scale up beyond 200-300 taxis with manual tracking, with the use of walkie-talkies or mobile phones. Hence we have opted for technology that is scalable for thousands of taxis, and is a highly successful model in countries like Singapore. Falcon-i: another tool with an i to track

The growing relevance of real-time tracking has led to the launch of several tracking devices of late. Another tracking system Falconiwas launched by American Megatrends India, a subsidiary of US-based American Megatrends Inc. Falcon-i is a GSM (global system for mobile communications) tracking system that can be installed Technology fuels the Meru in taxis and goods carriers to monitor station records, details For its vehicles, V-Link has deployed about a vehicles location at a different technologies from a number of particular date and time, its speed, different firms in India and abroad, fuel, and vehicle health parameters including Dubai and Singapore. like engine status, etc. The solution is even enhanced with a geo-fencing We use high-end GPS and GPRS (general facility that enables immobilisation packet radio service) technology in our of the vehicle if the driver tries to Maruti Esteem vehicles. The technology take a different route or go beyond a has been specially deployed to ensure that prescribed distance passengers receive a timely response and are picked up and dropped at their destinations without any unnecessary delay, reveals Sangoi. Our vision is to give urban commuters in India a world-class travelling experience, by using a technology that has evolved in developed countries over the past twenty years, adds Sangoi. Each Meru is fitted with a GPS-based tracking device that helps in identifying the taxi closest to a customer pick-up location. Customer addresses and other details are communicated back to the driver on the display screen, avoiding the use of outdated radio trunking (walkie-talkie) technology, or the use of a mobile. Each taxi is also fitted with a tamperproof digital fare meter as per the tariff set by the government. The location information and fare details are continuously being sent back to the control room by each taxi, for tracking purposes. Customers also get a printed receipt of the fare at the end of the trip. Each taxi has a mobile

communication terminal (MCT), which has a built-in GPS receiver, LCD (liquid crystal display) screen and GPRS connectivity, which helps communicate with the control room. Our data centre hosts a set of communication servers, application servers, and database servers, which are in constant touch with each taxi through GPRS. The latitude and longitude information is plotted on a GIS (Geographical Information Systems) map for real-time tracking, says Sangoi.

Hail a Meru with ease The deployed technology enables the customer to book a cab through various media like the telephone, the Internet, or SMS, apart from getting a cab by the kerb. It also helps Meru to locate and send the closest available cab to the customer, thereby reducing the turnaround time for the customer. Says Sangoi, Our customers in Mumbai can book a modern AC cab either by calling our call centre at 44 22 44 22, by booking online (www.merucabs.com), or by SMSing MERU to 57575. Passengers can hire our cabs for a flag-down charge of Rs 15, while the per km charge is Rs 13. Our fares are in compliance with those laid down by the government of Maharashtra. The fare starts from the location of customer pick-up, even though the taxi comes from a distant location. There is also a provision to deal with situations if a passenger leaves any of his belongings in the Meru cab. A passenger can lodge a complaint about the items left behind either by contacting the call centre, or filling up the details on our website. The control room then tracks the vehicle and tries to locate the item and return it to the customer as soon as possible. Our cabs generally benefit the public at large; any one who looks for a mode of transport that is road-worthy, and at the same time expects value-for money, looks at Meru as a transport option. Recently, our cabs have seen a huge demand from late-night party-goers who avoid driving their own cars and see us as a comfortable transport alternative. Our cabs are also in heavy demand during office hours, reveals Sangoi. After Mumbai, V-Link has plans to launch Meru cabs in other major cities of the country. V-Link Taxis Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of the V-Link Group, a corporate fleet management services organisation that is headquartered in Mumbai, and operates in five major citiesMumbai, Delhi and NCR, Pune, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The company manages a fleet of over 1,500 vehicles running an aggregate of more than 150,000 km a day, and transports the employees of some of Indias leading companies. We have invested heavily in technology to provide best-in-class and highly reliable customer service. The investments are in line with the needs of todays competitive and swift-moving world, concludes Sangoi. In the future too, the organisation aims to continuously upgrade its IT infrastructure to keep pace with the times.