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To many, the ridesharing industry is a binary system. Its two components? Uber and Lyft. Both companies have visibly (and, at times, controversially) challenged the taxi schema, taking advantage of the ubiquitous smartphone to democratize and socialize the stranger-as-driver experience. Highly experimental, their innovative nature has instituted a new model for on-demand transportation.
A number of observers, however, believe the model can be refined to further benefit drivers and passengers. One such observer, Rattan Joea, asserts that the key is to offer both parties more autonomy.
Joea is the CEO and founder of Opoli, a new private transportation app serving Los Angeles County. A former professional driver, Joea created Opoli to make the relationship between passengers and drivers more direct, in turn giving them more control over their transactions.
"We strongly believe businesses should operate one to one–direct with their consumer," Joea said. "That’s the model we set for Opoli, and we think this model brings the focus to what’s most important: consumers and providers."
To use Opoli, a passenger can either book online (via mobile device or desktop) or download the app, now available for iPhone users. The passenger inputs a pickup location and destination, for which Opoli calculates a suggested price. He or she can accept this price or propose an alternative amount. Drivers will then bid on the ride, allowing the passenger to choose whomever he or she sees fit. (More than 250 drivers are expected to be available at any given time in Los Angeles, so most passengers should receive prompt responses.) At this point, the passenger and selected driver can negotiate a flat rate for the ride.
Immediately, this model deviates from Uber and Lyft in one fundamental sense: the passenger and driver both have a say in how much the ride will cost. But there are further implications of unprecedented passenger-driver benefits: 1) the app offers full pricing transparency for the passenger before the ride, and 2) the driver collects the fare commission-free, providing a clearer payment process.
“We think our competitors have done a great job introducing the concept of ride-sharing to the marketplace. Our aim is to expand the opportunity, and we want to deliver better service and better value,” said Joea.
Because Opoli doesn’t take commissions from ride earnings, its drivers pay a monthly subscription fee. According to Joea, “The one thing we promise is that it will be an amount [in which] drivers, and in the future other service providers, will see a value.”
Opoli takes similar measures to Uber and Lyft to account for safety, satisfaction, and good passenger-driver relations. In addition to hosting a two-way review system, the company requires drivers to be commercially licensed and insured (verified through the California Public Utilities Commission including TCP certification) and to pass a background check. Passengers who place a bid will see a photo of the driver and his or her car and the license plate number and expiration date. Payments, which are processed automatically through a stored credit card, are secure, using full encryption.
Currently, Opoli operates strictly in the black car service market, using town cars and luxury vehicles such as Mercedes and BMWs. The company considers its primary competitor to be Uber Black, and Joea said that Opoli’s rates are on average 20 percent to 30 percent lower than the luxury car service giant’s. It serves all of Los Angeles County, with limited service in Orange County, Long Beach, and the Inland Empire.
As its e-commerce platform matures, Joea predicts Opoli will be applicable to nearly any type of service, making a significant impact on the growth of small businesses. “In the future, we see a variety of business transactions such as hotel accommodations, household services, valet parking, and much more will become available through the Opoli app,” Joea said. “The vision for Opoli is to level the playing field, so that small businesses can compete against big businesses, so that those who offer the best service and the best value will succeed.”
