Moving from one place to another has always been a part of human life ever since ‘job’ became a part of everyday lives. Commuting to work has gone through a lot of transformations over the ages. The latest among them is the fad of on-demand transport. Apps like Uber have revolutionized the way cabs were looked at. Uber and Uber-like apps have made the concept of on-demand location-based transportation services mainstream.
The on-demand apps have infinite possibilities, and even within the realm of transportation, it is quite possible to address different sections of the market. Addressing these sections is essential because cab apps cannot cater to every kind of transport need. For example, Wheely has effectively addressed luxury travel, and Zum is a kids-exclusive transport app.
The demand and the market are also bound to change according to the geography of a place. If we take India for instance, the tech companies are concentrated in a few cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Gurgaon. Even more so, these companies are confined to certain areas within the city. It is quite possible that a lot of people travel from different parts of the city to these places in the mornings, and vice-versa in the evenings.
Cabs might turn out to be expensive, especially with the ‘slightly higher due to increased demand’ surge pricing. The public transport might take a lot of time, and will not be comfortable enough for people to start off their work as soon as they arrive at their office. This presents a narrow spectrum of opportunities for on-demand transport but even the ‘narrow’ is quite wide when it comes to a populous country like India. Shuttle app development will be a new business opportunity for entrepreneurs to startup.
Enter Shuttle Services:
This demand for daily commutes without compromising on comfort has been effectively addressed by shuttle services. Just like how Uber gave an earning opportunity for car owners, shuttle services give an opportunity for bus and mini-bus owners to earn revenues, capitalizing on the on-demand transportation trend.
These shuttle services precisely address the need of office-goers.
- Office-goers need a comfortable mode of transport. ‘Comfortable’ doesn’t essentially mean ‘private’.
- They need to be assured that they reach their workplace on time. As much as the users, companies also want their employees to reach their offices safely and comfortably on time.
- People do not hesitate to walk a bit and wait for their pick-up.
- If they can commute safely and comfortably and also reach their office on time, they would not mind paying more than what they’d pay for public transport.
- They do not want to splurge on cabs that give almost the same level of comfort, even at surge prices.
All these factors have created a lucrative market for app-based shuttle services.
Introducing Shuttle
The shuttle is a living and breathing example of the shuttle service we discussed above. It was founded in 2015 by Amit Singh. The app/service was created to precisely address the pain points of urban commuters.
It has to be agreed that any marketing happens not by utility but by emotions and the ‘emotions’ need to be tied to a pain point. Shuttle presented the problems of congestion and pollution that are brought about by unjustly using a 4-seater cab for transporting just one person. Parallel to this, the concept of a ‘green commute’ was another emotion that they piggybacked on. The combination worked well for them – especially with the pollution problems in Delhi and the traffic problems in Bangalore being in the global limelight.
The success of Shuttl can be understood with simple numbers – they have over 45000 customers and 800 drivers/buses spread across 7 cities. As of October 2019, Shuttl transported over 100,000 riders on a daily basis. Shuttl raised a whopping $20 million in its Series C funding from global investment giants like Sequoia Cap, Lightspeed Ventures, and Times Internet.
What Made the Success of Shuttl possible?
The difference between a brilliant and mediocre service-providing company is the intensity with which they use technology. It is true that it is ‘manpower’ that provides the service in the sight of the end-user. However, counting only on manpower would mean that the growth would be linear.
Bringing the right technology into the equation of growth would ensure factors like automation make the progress more exponential than just linear.
The ‘technology’ that Shuttl used was nothing different – just that it was used in a different manner. With Shuttl, users could just type out their pick-up point and destination. Based on these parameters, a bus was assigned to them. They could even pay in advance and book their seats. If they couldn’t take the ride, the ‘booking’ could simply be rescheduled for any other day with no extra charges.
It is not just the users but also the companies that recognized the bliss of Shuttl. Some companies have tied up with Shuttl for their daily needs for employee commutes. This presents a great advantage for companies. Smaller companies can now pamper their employees with free transport to the office being one of the perks. Large companies don’t have to take the task of fleet management – it can be effectively and efficiently outsourced.
The Features That Make Shuttl Special
Shuttle can be described as an Uber for mini-buses, but with a tie and a blazer! The features are strikingly similar but different at a finer level:
- As soon as the app is opened, the first option shown is to enter the pick-up and drop locations.
- Based on this information, the app shows the available routes and schedules.
- The user can book their ride, and even choose their seats by paying in advance. The rides can be rescheduled if need be.
- There are also other payment options like cash, eWallets, and even monthly subscription models.
- GPS-assisted tracking helps the user track the movement of the vehicle. It also helps the vehicle driver get to the precise location of the user.
- There is also a safety mechanism in place… like emergency contacts and panic buttons.
The Market for Shuttle Apps
The shuttle is a classic case study and a living, breathing example of the bright and lucrative market that lies ahead for shuttle apps. It also shows that shooting with a sniper gives better results than a shotgun – addressing a specific segment of a market has its rewards!
This juncture is a great time for businesses to not just experiment but outright embark on creating a business out of shuttle services. If you’d like to have your customized shuttle app developed from a clone of Shuttl, you can get in touch with the team at AppDupe for their white-label Uber clone. Our team of experts will ensure to gather your requirements, and also give you the perfect mobile app for you to launch your business in the quickest possible time!