Cab aggregators Ola, Uber and others have come under the radar of the Karnataka Transport Department officials after several complaints poured in from commuters in Bengaluru on high fares.
A report said the transport department has slapped 292 cases on ride-hailing apps including Ola and Uber based on these complaints by citizens. Commuters have also sent complaints via email to the chief minister himself, among other top government officials in this matter.
Following this, the Transport Department carried out a drive on Friday to identify such aggregators and drivers at different parts of the city.
IAS officer T.H.M. Kumar, the commissioner for transport and road safety told the publication that the department has filed 292 cases against cab aggregators for exorbitant ride fares. In the past, the State government had fixed fares that are applicable for the taxi aggregators. They have to fix the fare as per the slab fixed by the government and cannot take passengers for a ride, he added.
Drivers charging extra fare will be slapped with fines of ₹500, K T Halaswamy, the joint commissioner of the transport department said, and added that the department will serve notices to cab aggregators and take action depending on their response.
The Karnataka government had said it would look into unfair practices of these cab aggregators back in May after a flood of complaints from commuters in the city.
Cabbies on the other hand have said they have challenging work conditions as they juggle high fuel costs, high commissions paid to the aggregator per ride, EMI repayments on their vehicles and unbeatable traffic congestions.
