HYDERABAD: It could soon be time to say `Hasta La Vista' to the regular Ambys, Omnis and omnipresent Indicas that dominate the taxi service in the twin cities. Carzonrent India Private Limited, the licensee for Hertz International in India, is soon launching its radio taxi services -- Easy Cabs -- with a fleet of plush C segment sedans!

The vehicle for Hyderabad is yet to be confirmed, but it could be Ford Ikon or Tata Indigo. The model, anyway, is not the novelty. This fleet, most likely to be around 500-strong, will be fitted with GPRS technology, digital fare meters and thermal printers for issuing bills/receipts.

And yes, on the lines of the world famous Yellow Cabs of New York and Comfort Cabs of Singapore, Easy Cabs will offer swipe machines for payments through credit cards, a feature rarely seen, or rather not seen, in the twin cities. The company is also planning to issue prepaid cards for its regular users.

According to company sources, customers can call on 43434343, a number that is working 24x7 via a call centre in Delhi where Easy Cabs are already on the streets. Once the call is made, the call centre will locate the Easy Cab nearest to the pickup location through a real time GPRS screen and instruct the driver online to pick you up. Vehicle model

However, the billing pattern, rates and vehicle model are yet to be confirmed for Hyderabad, according to Hertz local branch manager N. Suresh.

Another feature of Easy Cabs will be the chauffer, who will be recruited through four criteria including police, bank and two personal verifications.

The launch date will be announced soon, Mr. Suresh said.

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