Bengaluru: Trying to book a shared cab during peak hours? You might want to keep an eye on the meter to see how much they are charging you.
Most cab services in the city over the last few months are levying ‘peak hour charges’ which are much higher than solo cab rides.
In recent weeks for many regular passengers, the final bill has come as a shock.
Cab drivers’ associations claim that the cab aggregators are charging double the fares.
Tanveer Pasha, president, Ola, Taxiforsure and Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Association, told Deccan Chronicle, “If commuters are not careful, they could end up paying double the fares. The share cab concept is a big con job by aggregators and they are getting the people addicted to it. Cab users are paying double the fares but most of them are not aware of it. In the beginning, they don’t pay much, but as days pass, the charges go up. Most drivers are not happy with the share concept as only aggregators make money.”
Ms Anjali S., a regular share cab user, said, “Earlier, peak hour charges were double only for regular services. But now, fares are high even for share services. I am a regular share cab user from JP Nagar to Electronics City. Over the last few days, the charges have become double during normal hours also. The government should intervene and solve the issue.”
But others said that the fares are high only on some routes and only during peak hours. Commuters also complained that they were unable to book low-fare rides during peak hours.
Another commuter, Asha P., who uses Uber Pool and Ola Share every day to go to office and back, said: “I was happy because the fares were less than autorickshaw rides. Now, I’m planning to buy a car because the cab fares have become exorbitant. I used to pay about Rs 100 from Palace Guttahalli to Halasuru on Uber Pool till two months ago, but now, I end up paying Rs 150 or more.”
When Deccan Chronicle contacted Ola and Uber, they said, “We cannot comment right now, as we have no idea what people are complaining about. We have not raised fares and also, we have not received any complaints.”
