'Meru', city's first metered radio taxi service launched

Company Brief

Bangalore, April 08, 2008

Mumbai’s premier radio taxi service provider, V-Link Taxis Private Limited, has today announced the launch of ‘Meru’, world-class metered, radio taxi service in Bangalore. V-Link Taxis is an investee company of India Value Fund, a premier, India centric private equity fund.

With the launch of the Meru cab service, Bangalore will witness the introduction of its first metered radio taxi service in the city. The initial platform to deliver the Meru service in Hyderabad will be the Mahindra Renault Logan.

In April 2007, V-Link launched the premium “metered taxi” business in Mumbai. Following the exceptional consumer response to the Meru cab service in Mumbai, the company is launching its taxi service in Bangalore today. The company has already introduced Meru in Hyderabad and Delhi in March 2008 and subsequently plans to launch in other cities in India making it the largest operator of radio taxis in the country.

Meru will launch in Bangalore with around 500 taxis. Of this total, 400 taxis will be dedicated for airport passenger services for the upcoming International Airport in the city. The radio taxis will not only cater to the demand of passengers commuting to and from the new International airport, but will also become a viable extension to the city's public transportation infrastructure by deploying 100 taxis for the retail market.

Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Mr Neeraj Gupta, Managing Director, V-Link said, “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-class service providers to build the service delivery and technology elements for this project. Our success in Mumbai is due to our strong emphasis on providing a high-quality, comfortable and affordable travel experience for our customers.”

He added, “Our radio taxi service provides customers the opportunity to commute in a modern air-conditioned taxi, enabled by GPS-based dispatch technology. They can call for a taxi at 4422 4422 and the technology enabling this service locates a cab nearest to the customer and dispatches it. The customer has a 100% assurance of a tamper-proof meter and a printed receipt for each fare."

He attributed the phenomenal success of the Meru brand in Mumbai to the company's untiring efforts on selecting, training and deploying high quality drivers. “For every 8 drivers screened. Meru selects only 1, demonstrating the rigor with which we build quality service delivery.”

He further added, “Meru is modeled on the best cab services in the world like Singapore and London. Our endeavour will be to work with local governments in each state we enter to provide a world class taxi infrastructure. What private airlines have done to invigorate air travel in India, Meru intends to do with cab services."

In February 2008, V-Link Taxis bagged the contract for new International Airport in Bangalore to deploy its taxi services, which will be used both at the airport as well as within the city giving a jump start for taxi operations in Bangalore, a city that previously did not have an existing taxi culture or market. In order to commence its radio taxi operations in Bangalore, V-Link has satisfied all the criteria laid down by the city Government and is currently the only provider to be selected as an operator of radio taxis in the city.

Customers can avail of multiple options to get the Meru cab service including dialing into 44224422, sending an SMS to 57575 or doing a web request at www.merucabs.com. Services like “Dial-a-Meru”, “SMS-a-Meru” and “Meru-on-the-Net” will be available. V-Link also offers an advance booking system for ‘Meru’ which allows a customer to book a cab over the phone or on the net in advance at their desired location from anywhere within the city of Bangalore. Of course, customers can always hail and flag down a cab on the streets if it is not occupied.

V-Link’s technology ensures 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 a reporting customer would have used. Every fare that Meru collects is digitally transmitted back to the Control Centre and is recorded for reference. Each cab has an on board printer which gives a printed receipt for the fare collected. The digital tamper proof meter on board and the printed receipt for all 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 Government of Karnataka.

For further information, please contact:

Corporate Voice | Weber Shandwick

Manisha Keshwa

Mob: 09819965853

e-mail: manishak@corvoshandwick.co.in

website: www.webershandwick.com