No rules to regulate aggregator fares for auto rides

When Uber and Ola offered auto rides as an option, citizens were delighted since they need not haggle with the drivers as the apps ended complaints of late night "extortions".

Lately though, the commuters are feeling the pinch since the aggregators ignored promises of four kilometre rides at Rs 29. In fact, passengers opting for auto rides on the apps pay more than the maximum fares fixed by the transport department, which is yet to
monitor or regulate the aggregators of three-wheelers.

Officials of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) said no rules exist to regulate the amount the aggregators charge for auto rides. Though the government came up with Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregator (ODTTP) Rules in April 2016, it only applies to motor cabs and did not refer to the autos.

Even the RTO notification issued in March limited the revised fares to the cabs and city taxis.

Ola launched its autorickshaw services more than a year ago, with attractive offers of Rs 29 for four kilometres and discounts, making the fares way below amounts fixed by the RTO. But lately, it has began increasing fares in the name of access fee, service tax, convenience fee and insurance, among others.

Commuters' complaints

"My house is hardly 2 km from the metro station. Initially, the fares for Ola was Rs 29, while Uber charged around Rs 25 for 4 km," said Avinash P, who was availing the aggregator services for short rides. "Later, Ola hiked the charges to Rs 50, more than what the RTO has fixed. After 10 pm, it goes up to Rs 70." He said Uber recently launched dynamic fares like how airlines charge for flights.

Rashmi R, another commuter, said Ola and Uber auto rides were good till they started charging more. "Now, drivers call passengers to find out the drop location and cancel the rides. This is a terrible waste of a customer's time," she said.

While Ola spokesperson claimed that they are not charging more than the advertised fares, Uber spokesperson said their fares do not exceed the amounts fixed by the regional RTO.

Hemanth Kumar L, secretary, State Transport Authority, confirmed that the state has no rules to monitor aggregator fares for auto rides.

"Each auto driver must follow the rates fixed by the RTO, but autos weren't included under the ODTTP rules," he said. "We aren’t in a position to amend and include more rules since the matter is before the High Court of Karnataka. Despite this, we do address individual complaints of fare discrepancies," he said.

RTO fares for autos in Bengaluru Rs 25 for first 2 km and Rs 13 for each kilometer thereafter From 10 pm to 6 am, RTO has fixed 1.5 times the meter charge. No double meter