10 per cent cab drivers face harsh fallout

Hyderabad: About 10 per cent of cab drivers are added to the blacklist for misbehaviour or cheating. About 2,500 drivers lose incentives due to complaints made by customers till the companies reactivate their services.

Mr Syed Nizamuddin, president of the Telangana State Cabs and Bus Operators Association, said that due to the lack of bookings, companies were blacklisting drivers for minor reasons. “Out of the 50,000 reserved cabs in the city, only 25,000 to 30,000 get regular bookings. To avoid providing bookings to reserve drivers, cab companies ban them for simple mistakes," he said.

Mr Syed Shabuddin, a driver from Tolichowki, said he was in the blacklist for a week for not taking a customer’s call immediately. “I was driving at that moment and talking on the cellphone while at the wheel is a crime. I called back the customer within a couple of seconds. But, based on the customer’s feedback, I was banned for a week and my incentives were withheld,” he said. In most cases, operators lift ban after proper explanation from the driver.