We all have that inner zeal to go for a road trip. But whenever it comes to planning a trip, stress flows through our mind. What’s and how’s seems to be the biggest hurdle. For ones, who love to drive down the roads, we have a special delight for you in today’s write-up.
What if I say, you can now rent luxury cars without being worried about large amount of security deposits? Sounds Interesting?
“Yeah, that’s what JustRide is all about, so that you can drive back a new experience every time. It’s time for your trip to go for perfection.”
“The youth of today prefers to spend more on their cellphones than save up for a car,”explains Vasant, one of the founding member from JustRide. “Currently there’s hardly any company catering to their needs. As a result purchasing a car is their only option. This is exactly where JustRide comes into the picture.” he further adds.
JustRide aims to enhance the self-drive car rental experience of their customers with a stress-free environment by providing superior services at minimal cost. It provides you the taste of sedans and luxury cars at the affordable prices. Bookings can be made by days or by hours and through web site.
Imprinting a difference
The business of renting cars has seen tremendous growth throughout the country in recent years. With a CAGR of 12% and lots of other players stepping their game up in the domain, competition is heating up.
There are many car hiring services out there, but security deposits as high as INR 30, 000 per car has always been keeping behind the customers, then the accessibility is also a concern to look for. JustRide addresses these issues through customized insurance and a hyper local service model, which in itself is the niche for this Mumbai based startup.
Journey on the go
The only way to beat competition is to expand at a rapid rate. The demand is there, it’s just a matter of figuring out how you cater to it.
Since commencing operations this February, the company has gained over 750 unique customers. JustRide’s clientele ranges from students of IIT Mumbai, University of Mumbai and NMIMS to employees of Deloitte, Prudential, Tech Mahindra and Nomura.
On being asked about the challenges faced so far, Abhishek, another founding member, explains, “Like every other startup, generating a buzz about our product was difficult. You can have an excellent product, but if people don’t know about it, your company is doomed. We realized that with a tight budget, our only option was to focus on our services and rely on word of mouth of our customers. The first month had been tough, but eventually we picked up pace.”
Idea and execution
As a safety expert at a reputed automobile firm, Amit, the brain behind the idea of JustRide, realized that a major deterrent for customers planning to purchase his company’s range of luxury cars was the maintenance cost. “The cost of replacing something as minor as a side view mirror for a luxury range vehicle adds up to Rs.8,000, which is a considerable sum for many. Claiming insurance for major damages is again a hassle,” he says.
The idea behind JustRide is to tap the segment of the market, which shies away from purchasing a luxury car, but deeply desires to ride one.
How it works
Services
JustRide has a webbed parking system in which their vehicles are evenly distributed throughout the locality in which they operate. The cars are available on call 24×7.
JustRide is very much interested in dealing with consumer segment. Their services include:
- Hourly ride prices include free fuel worth 10km for every hour booked.
- Daily ride prices include free fuel worth 240 kms.
- Beyond free cap limit, charges will be Rs.15/km.
- Refundable deposit amount of Rs.3000.
JustRide calculates the rental charge as:
If the rental period of the car falls between Friday and Saturday or Sunday and Monday, the user will be billed separately at Weekday and Weekend rates.
Some imortant instructions:
The user must be above 23 years of age and,
- The user must have a valid driving license issued by the Government of India.
- The user must scan his/her license and upload it on JustRide.in.
- The user must verify his identity with a valid ID proof at the time he/she takes possession of the vehicle.
- Documents issued by the government of India such as Voter ID, Driver’s license, PAN card, etc. will be considered as valid ID proof only.
- If a user is unable to verify his/her identity, the booking shall be considered void and the security deposit will be retained by JustRide.
One to One:
Domain:
Unlike existing firms in this sector, which predominantly entertain corporate clients, JustRide is keen on expanding in the Business to Consumer segment.
Targeted customers:
Youth and road-trip enthusiasts.
Team:
“When the idea of creating a car rental firm struck me, I immediately contacted my friends from college. The company wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Ashwarya, Vasant, Hemant and Abhishek. At the end of the day, everyone brings something to the table,” says Amit about his experience of creating his own venture. “In total we are a team of ten people so far” he adds.
Future ‘road trip’:
With an expansion plan of 20 stations within next month, JustRide has an ambitious plan to cover the entire city of Mumbai by the end of this year.