VELO
Privacy Policy
VELO is operated by Srikanth Tiwari, 14-4-248&249, Joshiwadi, Opp. Deepa Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India ("VELO", "we", "us"). This policy explains what personal data we collect when you ride with or drive for VELO, why we collect it, who we share it with and the choices you have. We process personal data in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its rules.
1. Data we collect
Everyone
- Account details: name, mobile number, email address (if you sign in with Google or add one), app language.
- Sign-in: if you use "Continue with Google", Google shares your name, email and profile picture with us. If you use your phone number, we send a one-time code by SMS.
- Trips: pickup and drop locations, stops, route, distance, time, fares, payment method (cash or UPI), receipts, ratings, tips and reviews.
- Messages: trip chat messages between rider and driver, and support tickets you raise.
- Device data: device model, operating system, app version, and a notification token so we can alert you about your trips.
- Safety: if you press SOS, your live location and trip details at that moment.
Riders
- Location: your location while you use the app, to set pickup and show nearby cars. The passenger app does not track you in the background.
- Saved places and trusted contacts you choose to add, and UPI IDs you save as payment methods.
Drivers
- Location while online: when you go online, the app shares your location continuously (also when the app is in the background or the screen is off) so we can send you nearby trips and show riders where you are. Location sharing stops when you go offline.
- Documents: driving licence, vehicle RC, insurance, PAN card and profile photo, and the vehicle details you enter.
- Earnings and payments: trips, fares, commission, VELO dues you pay by UPI or cash, and bank details for payouts if you add them.
- Phone settings needed to ring for new trips (notification, display over other apps and battery permissions). We only check whether they are allowed.
2. Why we use it
- To create and secure your account and let you sign in.
- To match riders with nearby drivers, navigate, calculate fares and complete trips.
- To let riders and drivers call or message each other about a trip.
- To verify drivers' identity, licence and vehicle before they can drive.
- To keep records of payments, commission and driver dues.
- For safety: SOS, sharing your trip with people you choose, and investigating incidents.
- For support, fraud prevention, and to comply with law and requests from authorities.
- To improve the service using aggregated statistics.
We do not sell your personal data and we do not show third-party advertising.
3. Who we share it with
- The other person on your trip: riders see the driver's name, photo, vehicle, plate, rating and live location; drivers see the rider's first name, pickup and drop, and rating. Phone numbers are used only to call about the trip.
- Service providers who process data for us under contract: cloud hosting and database (Supabase), sign-in (Google), push notifications (Google Firebase), maps, routing and address search (Geoapify, built on OpenStreetMap data), and SMS delivery for one-time codes.
- Trusted contacts you choose, when you share a trip or press SOS.
- Authorities when required by law, or to protect someone's safety.
4. How long we keep it
We keep account data while your account is open. When you delete your account we erase your name, phone number, email, saved places, payment methods, trusted contacts, bank details, documents and notification tokens, and you can no longer sign in. Trip, payment and tax records are kept without your personal details for as long as the law requires (generally up to 8 years for financial records). Safety incident records may be kept longer if needed for an investigation.
5. Your choices and rights
- Access and correction: view and edit your profile in the app, or ask us for a copy of your data.
- Deletion: delete your account in the app (passenger app: Account → Settings → Delete my account; driver app: Account → Delete my account), or follow these steps.
- Location: you can turn off location permission in your phone's settings; some features (pickup, driving) won't work without it.
- Notifications: you can turn them off in your phone's settings.
- Grievances: contact our Grievance Officer below. You may also approach the Data Protection Board of India.
6. Security
Data is encrypted in transit, access is limited by role, driver documents are stored in private storage, and every admin action is logged. No system is perfectly secure; tell us at once if you suspect misuse of your account.
7. Children
VELO is not meant for anyone under 18. Riders under 18 may travel only with an adult who books the ride. Drivers must be 18 or older and hold a valid licence.
8. Changes
We will post updates on this page and tell you in the app about important changes.
9. Contact and Grievance Officer
Srikanth Tiwari (Grievance Officer)
14-4-248&249, Joshiwadi, Opp. Deepa Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana
Email: srikanthtiwari98@gmail.com · Phone: +91 80742 45829
We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days.