Bengaluru: In response to worsening commute times in Bengaluru, ride-hailing platform Namma Yatri has launched Namma Transit, a new feature that integrates metro, auto, and cab services into a single journey planning platform.
The company introduced the feature as average commute times in the city have risen by 16% over the past year, with residents spending over an hour to cover just 19 kilometers, according to recent mobility data. Namma Transit aims to tackle this by offering real-time navigation across multiple transport modes, focusing on improving commuter access to metro and last-mile services.
The feature is currently available to select users and will be expanded citywide within a week. Namma Transit operates as a digital personal transit assistant and is built on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) framework. The platform gives users step-by-step guidance, right from locating metro stations to coordinating auto or cab transfers.
The tool will soon integrate real-time data from BMTC buses through a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Data for Public Good.
Speaking at the launch event, Shan MS, co-founder and COO of Namma Yatri, said the core challenge was not competition between ride-hailing and public transport, but the growing number of private vehicles. “Adding more cars will only worsen congestion,” he noted, advocating for a balanced ecosystem of public and shared mobility.
The feature also plans to incentivise both drivers and commuters during its pilot phase to encourage the shift toward public and pooled transit options.
The launch of Namma Transit comes at a time when urban planners and transport experts are calling for stronger integration across transport networks. According to mobility researchers, cities that provide seamless multimodal options see higher adoption of public transit and slower growth in private vehicle ownership. With this feature, Namma Yatri is testing whether such integrated systems can drive a measurable shift in commuter behaviour in Bengaluru, one of India’s most congested metros.
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