Meru's new chatbot helps you book cabs on Facebook Messenger

Radio taxi operator Meru Cabs on Tuesday announced the launch of its new chatbot Meru Messenger Bot, using which a user can now book cabs on Facebook Messenger.

"Meru's entire range of taxi services will now be accessible to Facebook users via Facebook Messenger and will allow them to book cabs using key words and conversational question-answers through the service called Meru Messenger Bot," the company said in a press release.

To avail the service, the users need to search Meru Cabs on Facebook Messenger under 'Bots and Business' section and can begin the interaction after verifying their mobile numbers. The users need to share their location here and then can choose the car type they want to travel in. Once confirmed, the Meru Messenger Bot responds on real time with the cab details along with the chauffeur's mobile number.

"Simplifying our customer's lives and addressing all their requirements is our priority at Meru. With this new feature, the process of booking a cab has become as convenient as chatting with a friend on Facebook messenger," said Siddhartha Pahwa, Group CEO, Meru Cabs.

Meru claims that this step makes it the first cab services provider in the world to go live with implementing Facebook's Bot services, however there is a standalone chatbot startups already in India called Niki.ai, wherein a chat interface is used for booking cabs and paying bills etc.

Though bots have been around for quite some years now, the introduction of this software application on Facebook Messenger has made it popular among companies, who want to use it as a platform extension of their businesses. However, standalone app too are making quite a mark and many start-ups have been launched in this space.

According to some reports more than thousands of bots are in developing stage from around the world on Facebook, while many of them have been already launched. In India, last month online doctor consultation platform Lybrate had announced the launch of its new chatbot, which allows people to consult doctors and seek their opinion on health matters on Facebook Messenger.