Hyderabad: The car pooling scheme started by app-based cab services Uber and Ola is in violation of Motor Vehicles Act. Only stage carriers are allowed to pick up passengers from different points as per the Act.
But citizens said pooling was good as it was cheaper and eco-friendly as more people could travel in fewer vehicles. Leaders of autorickshaw drivers unions alleged that transport department officials were not taking action on the taxi firms though they are openly violating provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Telangana Auto Drivers Joint Action Committee leaders Sathi Reddy and B. Venkatesham said the RTA, traffic police and legal metrology officials had launched a special drive against erring autorickshaw drivers recently.
“Why is the government is not taking action against Uber and Ola? Why is the government not fixing minimum fare per kilometre for these services? Not a single case has been booked for car pooling so far,” they said.
Citizens said car pooling saves their travel expenses by 50 per cent. Mr Akashdeep, an employee with Google, said: “I have travelled by both Uber and Ola. For people like me having no problem in sharing a cab with unidentified passengers, pooling is the best. It takes an additional five minutes to pick up another passenger. If you are willing to spend another five to 10 minutes to pick another passenger enroute your destination, cab pooling is best option,” he said.
Uber Technologies, general manager Siddh-arth Shanker said pooling was optional. Besides, there is no guarantee that a passenger willing to pool the cab will get another commuter, he said.
He said the service was currently not taking more than two passengers in a pooled cab. Joint transport commissioner B. Venkateshwarlu said cab pooling had been launched in other cities too.“The Union transport ministry is coming out with guidelines to monitor app-based cab providers. A meeting has been scheduled on June 10 in New Delhi with the app-based cab services at the top of the agenda. We are waiting for guidelines,” Mr Venkates-warlu said.
