The Bhutan Red Cross Society in collaboration with the Taxi Association of Bhutan will launch another mobile app for taxi services, Drukride on 21st of February. This is in line with His Majesty The King’s vision of Digital Drukyul.
Drukride is a ridesharing mobile app which will be made available in all the 20 districts from the day of its launch.
As thousands of taxi drivers from various regions attended the sensitization programme on digitalization of taxi services in the country, the Bhutan Red Cross Society and Bhutan Taxi Association informed that Drukride will be launched widely across the country coinciding with the Birth Anniversary of His Majesty The King on 21st of February.
“From today onwards, the Bhutan Taxi Association of Bhutan will make every taxi drivers to be involved in the digitalization of taxi services process through mobile applications. I want to thank His Majesty The King for supporting us with this programme,” said Rinzin Chophel, the Chairperson of the Taxi Association of Bhutan.
The Bhutan Red Cross Society and Taxi Association of Bhutan are currently being helped by the founder of MyDrukRide app, for the development of the app. As per the founder, the app is complete and ready to hit the market.
“We developed the first taxi booking app launched two years back, it was under the belt, MyDrukRide. Now it will be under the belt, Drukride. The thing it is different from the previous app is that now it has Dzongkhag to Dzongkhag booking system and also on-demand booking service. Taxis can come right in front of the doorsteps. The issue with people travelling from one district to another is that not getting an immediate taxi, but that will be available through this app,” said Jigme Thinley Yoezer Rinzin, the founder of DrukRide.
Further, he added the app will be made available in other parts of the country and is a ridesharing app whereby passengers will not be charged the reserved rate unlike in previous online taxi services.
The taxi fare payment can be done either in cash or online through cards and Royal Monetary Authority payment gateways. People availing the services through the application on its day of launch will be provided free transportation services.
The sensitization programme also saw awareness programmes on the Bhutan Red Cross Society and Novel Coronavirus. There are over 7000 taxi drivers in the country today.
Passang Dorji