After BluSmart exit, Quick Ride to have cab pick-up zone at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru airport

Ride-hailing firm Quick Ride will soon have a pick-up zone at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), which is grappling with a shortage of taxis following the exit of two electric cab operators — BluSmart and Refex eVeelz.

Quick Ride has signed an agreement with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates KIA, to offer the facility, founder and chief executive officer KNM Rao told Moneycontrol.

“Quick Ride will start operations within a week. We will deploy over 800 electric cabs. In addition, there will also be an option to book ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles,” said Rao. “Fares will be competitive. We will offer best ride experience at the best fare.”

Quick Ride will have dedicated bays at both Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2). Cabs can be booked through the Quick Ride app or its website.

The Bengaluru-based firm began as a carpooling service in 2015 and has since expanded into taxi services (local rides and outstation), rentals, etc.

Also read: Double whammy: Bengaluru airport cab crunch deepens as BluSmart, Refex pull out

“We are working closely with our existing authorised cab operators to expand their fleets during peak hours. We are also in discussions with potential partners to ensure seamless and reliable transport services for our passengers,” A BIAL spokesperson said in a statement.

Last month, BluSmart, backed by Gensol Engineering, abruptly suspended operations in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. This came amid a probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) into Gensol Engineering, raising concerns about BluSmart’s viability.

Also read: BluSmart takes on Uber, Ola, launches cab pickup zone at Bengaluru airport

Refex Green Mobility Ltd (RGML), a subsidiary of Refex Industries, said it is streamlining operations in Bengaluru by phasing out its airport-based EV taxi services, which were operated under Refex EV Fleet Services.

BluSmart had dedicated pickup points, while Refex, with a fully electric fleet, operated airport taxis via BIAL’s official 'BLR Pulse' app.

In FY25, KIA handled 41.88 million passengers, up from 37.53 million the previous year. Despite this growth, the availability of airport cabs remains a concern, with frequent complaints about long waits and inadequate fleets at the designated Ola and Uber pick-up zones.

Other aggregators such as Rapido, Namma Yatri, and Shoffr don’t have dedicated pick-up zones.