While the ride-hailing war between Ola and Uber intensifies in India, Google is (sort-of) banking upon the opportunity to expand the scope of third-party services within its search results. The tech behemoth is today introducing an option to allow commuters to book an Ola or Uber ride directly from Google Search using their smartphones.
Yes, you heard me right. Now everytime you search for directions or look for a taxi to any destination, Google will pull up a card-style result from Maps. This tight integration within the search results can be explored using the dedicated tab for ride services, both Ola and Uber. It will also show you fare estimates and pick up times if a car is available near you.
For instance, you can say ‘Taxi to Bangalore airport’ or more specifically ‘Uber to Bangalore airport’ or ‘Ola to Bangalore airport’ to show the corresponding results and avail the service.
Now, if you’re interested in booking a taxi cab to your destination, just select the service you prefer and Google search will directly take you to their app(with complete details) to book the cab with one tap. And if you don’t have the app installed on your phone, the search result will direct you towards the Play Store.
This integration is very much alike the one that was introduced in Google Maps earlier this year. Mountain View has added an exclusive tab to show information for cab services in addition to the existing driving, public transport, or walking options. It also shows the aforementioned data, alongwith applicable surge charges, if any.
Commenting on the launch of the service, Sanket Gupta, Program Manager at Google India says,
Choosing the best transit option can be a task at times, our aim is to help users simplify their everyday travel. With this, users will be able to order, explore and make quick comparisons about the best estimated taxi fare directly from Google Search results on their mobile.
Google has recently been rapidly expanding the scope of search result by serving more relevant information and options for the en-user to choose from. You currently not only have the option to order food or book a table in the search results, but a comprehensive guide to any aliments based on symptoms as well.
