Pune: The new cab fares rolled out by the Indian Gig Workers’ Front have sparked commuter discontent, plunging many into a whirlwind of confusion and sticker shock. The steep charges have drawn comparisons to extortion, resulting in fiery exchanges between drivers and passengers.The Indian Gig Workers’ Front, a cab association, rolled out the revised fares on Tuesday, aligning them with the state’s yet-to-be-unveiled cab aggregator policy. The association, led by president Keshav Kshirsagar, had launched onlymeter.in, a platform for fare calculation, in May. Kshirsagar said they decided to implement the new rates independently because of delays in the policy’s formal rollout.Kondhwa resident Akash Shinde said he was charged Rs 430 for a cab ride from Pune airport to his residence on Wednesday night, despite the meter showing Rs 380. “After three drivers refused, one finally agreed but insisted the fare had been revised. I tried to verify the new rates, but he was firm on his demand, leaving me no choice but to pay,” Shinde told TOI.Vikram Pant from Koregaon Park had a similar experience. “I was asked to pay Rs 210 for a 7-km ride to Ghole Road, a sharp increase from the Rs 170 I paid just a month ago. The fare hike makes no sense, and drivers are becoming aggressive when questioned,” he said.Shreyas Apte, a resident of Kothrud, booked a cab to MG Road, about 9km away, on Thursday morning. “I opted for a sedan, and based on the revised fare structure, the fare should have been around Rs 280, compared to Rs 310 shown in the app and Rs 212 under the old meter rates. The driver, however, demanded Rs 370 and refused to negotiate. When I asked him to cancel the ride, he insisted I do it instead. Eventually, he agreed to drop me for Rs 330, and I accepted as I was running late,” Apte said.Sinhagad Road resident Kaustav Lal said drivers were arbitrarily charging passengers based on their own calculations, and no authority seemed to be taking action. “Is the RTO or police even aware of these incidents? This is blatant overcharging,” he said.Cab association president Kshirsagar said cab drivers were told to calculate fares correctly, and updates were being made to the website (onlymeter.in) to reflect the new fare structure. “For trips under 3km, the minimum fare will apply depending on the vehicle type. Beyond that, the fare per kilometre will be charged as per the revised rates. We’ve told the drivers to ensure accurate billing, and the confusion should clear up soon,” he added.Attempts to contact senior Pune RTO officials failed. An official, however, said people with grievances could raise complaints. “We have a WhatsApp number (8275330101), and people can raise their grievances using it. After investigation, required action will be taken against the cab driver concerned. We are already taking action against errant auto drivers, and more than 300 have faced action so far,” the official added.GRAPHICThe Indian Gig Workers’ Front introduced revised cab fares on Tuesday without the formal rollout of govt policyCOMMUTERS’ GRIEVANCESPassengers reported being overcharged, with some drivers demanding higher fares than shown on the meterA section of people expressed frustration and anger over the steep charges, with some drivers refusing to negotiate or cancel ridesCAB ASSOCIATION’S RESPONSEPresident Keshav Kshirsagar said drivers were told to calculate fares correctlyUpdates are being made to onlymeter.in to reflect the new fare structureKshirsagar assured that accurate billing would be ensured, and confusion would clear up soonSince May, a growing number of cab drivers affiliated with aggregators like Uber, Ola and Rapido started following the rates on the web portalUber and Rapido also declared their shift to a ‘Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)’ modelUnder this system, while the fare for a destination would still appear on their apps, the final fare would be negotiated directly between the passenger and the driverRTO VOWS ACTIONPeople can raise grievances on a WhatsApp number (8275330101)Action will be taken against errant cab drivers after investigation





Source link