Ola joins long list of departed rideshare competitors in Australia

Rideshare platform Ola appears to have departed the Australian market, leaving American juggernaut Uber as the dominant player in the sector.

The Australian reports Ola has informed its drivers and riders that services will cease on April 12.

Its seeming departure adds to the long list of ventures that have tried to compete against traditional taxis while attempting to steal market share from Uber.

Uber

Australian launch: 2012, UberX launched in 2014

Origin: United States of America

Status: Active nationwide and dominant in the Australian market, with the region purportedly declared a “crown jewel” for the rideshare juggernaut.

GoCatch / GoCar

Australian launch: GoCatch founded in 2011, GoCar ride-share service added in 2016

Origin: Australia

Status: “Failed”, in the words of the Australian Financial Review. The company claimed 60,000 registered drivers and 45,000 registered vehicles in its network. Its founders are currently engaged in a heated legal battle with Uber, and seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation, while alleging Uber engaged in unfair competitive practices when launching in Australia. Uber has denied the claims, with its lawyers arguing GoCatch numbers were falling before UberX’s local debut in 2014.

Ola

Australian launch: 2018

Origin: India

Status: The service will “discontinue” services from April 12, according to an email reportedly sent to customers. Questions over its Australian operations have existed since late 2020, when its Australian head Simon Smith departed his role. Its Australian exit shows “how critical it is to get standards in place to lift pay and make transport gig jobs safe, secure and sustainable,” said Michael Kaine, national secretary of the Transport Workers Union.

DiDi

Australian launch: 2018

Origin: China

Status: Active in Australia and New Zealand. In 2020, Roy Morgan research suggested DiDi controlled 14% of Australia’s rideshare customer base, compared to Uber’s 93%. However, it remains an established competitor in the local sector.

Shebah

Australian launch: 2017

Origin: Australia

Status: Shebah, a women-only rideshare operation, offers an alternative for riders and drivers who feel more comfortable travelling with fellow women. After claiming strong uptake in its early years, it entered voluntary administration during COVID-19 lockdowns through a drop in users. Today, Shebah is run by the registered charity Safe Transport Australia.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shebah HQ (@shebahride)

Taxify / Bolt

Australian launch: 2017

Origin: Estonia

Status: Taxify entered the Australian market after significant success in Europe and Africa, and was renamed Bolt in 2019. Like Shebah, it suffered through the COVID-19, pandemic, withdrawing locally in 2020.

inDriver / inDrive

Australian launch: 2022

Origin: Russia

Status: inDriver, later branded as inDrive, turned the rideshare model on its head by allowing the rider to set their price. “We feel that the model we have promotes fairness and transparency,” Australian country manager Mike Chauhan told SmartCompany in 2022, “and we’ve found that people respond really well to that”. However, it struggled to compete against the incumbents and has since left the Australian market.

Liftango

Australian launch: 2015

Origin: Australia

Status: Less a rideshare operation than a carpooling app, Liftango allows commuters to find others with similar commute times and locations. The service, which targets corporate and university clients, remains in operation.

Oiii

Australian launch: 2016

Origin: Australia

Status: Billed as a modern taxi service with a rideshare-like user experience, Oiii’s founders hoped to operate 2,000 cars within its first 12 months. However, as of March 2024, its social media platforms list the service as “launching soon”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oiii Australia (@oiiiaustralia)