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App-based bus commute service provider Cityflo will launch shuttle operations in Kolkata from April 6 with around 300 buses, days after ride-hailing platform Uber discontinued that service in the city from Friday, offering an alternative option for office-goers, a company official said.
Cityflo, which has been in operation since 2015 and currently runs around 1,000 buses daily across Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, said the Kolkata service will largely operate on the same routes, timings and stops earlier served by Uber Shuttle to minimise disruption for regular commuters.
“We are launching 300 buses on April 6 in Kolkata, largely serving the same routes, timings and stops that Uber Shuttle used to run, ensuring minimal disruption to the corporate commuter,” Cityflo CEO and Co-founder Jerin Venad told PTI.
Venad said Kolkata had been on the company’s roadmap for some time, noting that the city’s pattern of office clusters and residential corridors suited Cityflo’s operating model.
According to Venad, the company had originally planned to launch services in the city in May, but accelerated the rollout after the announcement of Uber Shuttle’s shutdown.
“We wanted to ensure that commuters across the city who had built their daily routine around the (Uber) service faced the least disruption, and so we moved quickly to be ready by April 6,” he said.
Cityflo service will connect residential neighbourhoods, including Ranikuthi, Bijoygarh, Sonarpur, Baruipur, Joka, Barasat, Barrackpore and Howrah directly to Sector V and New Town, which house a large concentration of IT and corporate offices.
According to sources, Uber Shuttle had about 800 vehicles in service.
The company had initially planned to begin operations with around 100 buses, but decided to increase the fleet size following a strong commuter response in the past week.
“We had originally planned 100 buses at launch on April 6, but the response from customers over the last week pushed us to move faster. We’re now launching with 300 buses to accommodate increased time slots and routes from day one, expanding steadily over the next two months,” Venad said.
Cityflo will work with local bus operators for the service, many of whom previously operated buses for Uber Shuttle.
“It’s a practical arrangement that works well for both sides, wherein they continue running their businesses without disruption, and we get to work with operators who already know the city and the commute patterns,” Venad said.
“Our central team is managing the launch directly, and we’re actively building out the city team to ensure smooth, on-ground operations over the coming weeks,” he added.
Venad said that as the company scales operations in Kolkata, it would focus on service reliability and pricing discipline.
“After a decade of operations, we’ve learned that pricing must work for both customers and operators from the start, because unsustainable pricing often leads to abrupt shutdowns, operational lapses, and eventually stranded commuters. We’re building for the long term, which means holding ourselves to a high bar on timeliness, support and predictability for customers,” he said.
Uber had earlier informed users that its Shuttle service in Kolkata would be discontinued after April 2. The company said the service had helped it build insights into high-capacity mobility and that it is now shifting focus towards Employee Transportation Services (ETS), a corporate commute segment with predictable demand.
The ride-hailing platform had earlier shut its shuttle services in other major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
Industry observers said factors such as the expansion of Metro Rail connectivity, including links between Howrah and the IT hub in Sector V, may have affected demand for shuttle-based commuting services in the city.
West Bengal Online App Cab Operators Guild general secretary Indranil Banerjee called for a separate government department to oversee the sector, saying sudden disruptions such as the shutdown of Uber Shuttle leave hundreds of families dependent on the service and commuters in crisis.
Uber had rolled out some 800 vehicles of various seating capacities, including buses, he said.
Cityflo, which has been in operation since 2015 and currently runs around 1,000 buses daily across Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, said the Kolkata service will largely operate on the same routes, timings and stops earlier served by Uber Shuttle to minimise disruption for regular commuters.
“We are launching 300 buses on April 6 in Kolkata, largely serving the same routes, timings and stops that Uber Shuttle used to run, ensuring minimal disruption to the corporate commuter,” Cityflo CEO and Co-founder Jerin Venad told PTI.
Venad said Kolkata had been on the company’s roadmap for some time, noting that the city’s pattern of office clusters and residential corridors suited Cityflo’s operating model.
According to Venad, the company had originally planned to launch services in the city in May, but accelerated the rollout after the announcement of Uber Shuttle’s shutdown.
“We wanted to ensure that commuters across the city who had built their daily routine around the (Uber) service faced the least disruption, and so we moved quickly to be ready by April 6,” he said.
Cityflo service will connect residential neighbourhoods, including Ranikuthi, Bijoygarh, Sonarpur, Baruipur, Joka, Barasat, Barrackpore and Howrah directly to Sector V and New Town, which house a large concentration of IT and corporate offices.
According to sources, Uber Shuttle had about 800 vehicles in service.
The company had initially planned to begin operations with around 100 buses, but decided to increase the fleet size following a strong commuter response in the past week.
“We had originally planned 100 buses at launch on April 6, but the response from customers over the last week pushed us to move faster. We’re now launching with 300 buses to accommodate increased time slots and routes from day one, expanding steadily over the next two months,” Venad said.
Cityflo will work with local bus operators for the service, many of whom previously operated buses for Uber Shuttle.
“It’s a practical arrangement that works well for both sides, wherein they continue running their businesses without disruption, and we get to work with operators who already know the city and the commute patterns,” Venad said.
“Our central team is managing the launch directly, and we’re actively building out the city team to ensure smooth, on-ground operations over the coming weeks,” he added.
Venad said that as the company scales operations in Kolkata, it would focus on service reliability and pricing discipline.
“After a decade of operations, we’ve learned that pricing must work for both customers and operators from the start, because unsustainable pricing often leads to abrupt shutdowns, operational lapses, and eventually stranded commuters. We’re building for the long term, which means holding ourselves to a high bar on timeliness, support and predictability for customers,” he said.
Uber had earlier informed users that its Shuttle service in Kolkata would be discontinued after April 2. The company said the service had helped it build insights into high-capacity mobility and that it is now shifting focus towards Employee Transportation Services (ETS), a corporate commute segment with predictable demand.
The ride-hailing platform had earlier shut its shuttle services in other major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
Industry observers said factors such as the expansion of Metro Rail connectivity, including links between Howrah and the IT hub in Sector V, may have affected demand for shuttle-based commuting services in the city.
West Bengal Online App Cab Operators Guild general secretary Indranil Banerjee called for a separate government department to oversee the sector, saying sudden disruptions such as the shutdown of Uber Shuttle leave hundreds of families dependent on the service and commuters in crisis.
Uber had rolled out some 800 vehicles of various seating capacities, including buses, he said.
