After rain, hailing taxis one hell of a task in Bengaluru

Rains have exacerbated the crisis in Bengaluru’s taxi sector which is yet to recover from the Covid jolt, with commuters complaining about long waiting times for pick-up and repeated cancellations on app-based cab platforms.

After the onset of the pandemic, the number of cabs in the city has come down. While Ola and Uber do not disclose the number of taxis available on their apps, the drivers’ associations estimate that the numbers have come down from 1.3 lakh in 2019 to about 60,000.

G Narayana Swamy, president of Karnataka Chalakara Okkuta, said even within the 60,000, many prefer to work with corporate companies on a contract basis rather than toil with app-based cabs.

“Cabs are less because drivers have lost their vehicles to financial companies due to their inability to service the loans. Many of those who have managed to escape the debt net have gone back to their hometowns to explore alternative ways of earning,” Swamy said.

As many corporate companies return to work from office culture, the demand has increased but the low number of cabs has led to waiting periods of more than 10-15 minutes even in areas in the city centre.

“When it rains, it becomes difficult to get a cab. Sometimes, the drivers call and seek to know the destination after which they cancel the ride. The whole exercise is a waste of time,” he said. Swamy said low earnings and high fuel prices have made many drivers look for alternatives.

“Entering a contract with corporate companies provides an assured income. In these times, such stability is preferable to the uncertainty of getting customers on
Ola and Uber platforms,” he said.

Tanveer Pasha, president of Ola and Uber owners and drivers’ association, said though the government rule mandates the app-based aggregators to pay Rs 21/km to drivers, the earnings turn out to be much less.

“Drivers are getting anywhere between Rs 13/km and a maximum of Rs 18/km. On top of this, they have to pay 25% commission to the aggregator and 5% GST. Deduct the costly fuel price and only a few rupees are left in hand, making it difficult to earn a living, let alone save something,” he said.

DH couldn’t get a response from Ola and Uber.

Airport jam

On Sunday night, this reporter saw about 500 passengers waiting for taxis at the designated parking areas for Ola and Uber at the Kempegowda International Airport. One of the cab aggregators was announcing the shortage of cabs on a loudspeaker.

Ganesh N, a mechanic working with a foreign automobile company, who flew back from Goa with his wife and child, struggled to reach Koramangala.

“If I was alone, I would have preferred taking a BMTC bus. But I’m with my family and a cab is the best option. It took me one and a half hours to finally get a cab,” he said.

R Neelakantappa, general secretary of KSTDC Prepaid Taxi Welfare Association, said there has been a phenomenal rise in the number of airport passengers but only 30% of the taxis were plying.

“Over the last two months, we are seeing a huge demand for taxis. But the number of vehicles at the airport has reduced. Besides the seizure of vehicles by financiers, many drivers are finding it difficult to take out their vehicles because they are unable to pay for repairs, services or insurance. It’s a problem that will take some time to resolve,” he said.