How this Bangalore Based Startup Making Airport Travel Cheaper By 50% Through their Shared Cabs

It was a rainy day when Shubham was relaxing on his couch, sipping coffee, and scrolling through Twitter. The sound of rain tapping on the window made it a perfect lazy day. Suddenly, a tweet caught his eye: “I booked a flight for ₹3,500 from Pune to Bangalore. And then, a cab for ₹2,000 from Bangalore airport to my home.” As he read the tweet, memories of his own struggles with expensive cab fares from Bangalore Airport came flooding back. He remembered the frustration and how those high costs made a big hole in his pocket.

A Problem Worth Solving

Shubham, a tech enthusiast, couldn’t shake off the idea for days and kept thinking that there had to be a better way and why one needed to pay this much just to travel to the airport. He wanted to make airport travel affordable and safe for everyone, just like other services. To understand how big the problem was, he talked to lots of people, including strangers at the airport. Almost everyone had the same complaint: cab rides were just too expensive.

Taking Action

With this information, Shubham decided to take action. He envisioned an app that would allow people to share their cab rides with others going in the same direction (for now, it is for airports only). This would cut the cost by up to 50% and make airport transfers easier and more efficient. Although Shubham has good technical skills and has worked with a couple of startups as a software engineer, creating something from scratch is not easy. It takes courage, skill, time, and money. Shubham was working at a startup at the time and tried to balance his job with his new project. But soon, he realised that his dream needed his full attention. After a lot of contemplation, he left his job and poured his heart, time, and savings into his idea.

Building QuicReach

Shubham, with the help of some friends, developed the app for both users and drivers. He spent countless hours with drivers and users to make sure that app functions were working as expected. It was a challenging journey, using almost all his savings and many late nights. But he was determined. His hard work paid off. QuicReach is now operational in Bangalore and has garnered much appreciation from users.

As the operation grew, he was joined by two of his close friends, Aman Mishra and Pulkit. Both Aman and Pulkit are former founders themselves, bringing their unique perspectives to the team. They have an impressive combined experience of over ten years in the field of building and managing consumer tech products. This extensive experience has honed their skills, allowing them to significantly contribute to the development and management of innovative consumer tech products.

Getting the First User

With the MVP ready, Shubham faced the real test: onboarding drivers, attracting users, and ensuring their safety. Inspired by Paul Graham’s advice to recruit users manually, Shubham hired a cab and spent an afternoon searching for users at bus stands, metro stations and asking if they were travelling to the airport. After a few hours of toil, he found his first user near the Tin Factory bus stand. And bingo, QuicReach had its first user.

How QuicReach Works

“Our goal is to provide hassle-free cab booking for airport pickups and drop-offs, offering a great ride experience at a low price through our shared cab platform. We are focused on airport travel for now, but we are also looking to serve users for intercity and intracity travel,” Shubham explained.

Getting Started with QuicReach:

Download the App: Available on both the Play Store and App Store.

Sign Up: Use your mobile number and a few personal details.

Schedule Your Ride: Enter your pickup and drop times, along with your flight details.

Advance Payment: Pay up to 25% in advance to schedule your ride.

Once a user books a ride, QuicReach’s system looks for similar bookings and combines them into a shared ride. Verified drivers get ride notifications and can accept the rides based on their availability. Users are then notified with driver details to communicate directly. QuicReach maintains a 2-hour buffer to prevent last-minute cancellations,, resulting in a cancellation rate of less than 2%, which is way better than any other platform.

Affordable and Reliable

Unlike other ride-hailing services that keep increasing fares, adding surges, and charging platform fees, QuicReach offers rides that are more than 50% cheaper. Try QuicReach’s shared rides for your next airport trip, with prices starting as low as ₹400, or enjoy a personal ride for just ₹650.

Business Model and Numbers

QuicReach’s business model focuses on fairness and affordability. It ensures fair pay for drivers and protects users from unpredictable pricing. The shared cab system fosters a sense of community and keeps costs low. Revenue comes from retaining a small percentage of each shared ride, ensuring sustainability while remaining affordable for users.

“We launched in January 2024 and have since served over 10,000 users. We’ve completed more than 2,000 trips, saved our customers over 15 lakh, and reduced CO2 emissions by over 1,000 kg. Despite challenges, our dedication has resulted in consistent organic growth of 50% month over month. We’ve also onboarded over 500 drivers in Bangalore,” Shubham proudly remarked.

“QuicReach is Connecting Cities, Bridging Distances, and Making Travel Affordable.”

Conclusion

Shubham’s journey from a casual tweet to creating a thriving startup is a testament to his determination and innovative spirit. QuicReach is not just an app; it’s a solution that makes airport travel affordable and convenient for thousands. As QuicReach continues to grow, it promises to change the way people think about airport transportation, one shared ride at a time.

Feel free to share this story with your friends and family, and experience the convenience of QuicReach for your next airport journey!
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