Ola, Uber rides set to get costlier in Bengaluru

The department withheld a decision on revising the fares for cabs associated with aggregators in view of the need to follow central government rules

Get ready to pay more for Ola and Uber cab rides as transport officials are set to decide on a hike in the fares in the next few days.

In January, the commissioner for transport had sent a proposal to the transport department, revising the fares for city taxis as well as those associated with cab aggregators in the wake of the continuous rise in fuel prices.

On February 1, the department revised the fares of city taxis, fixing the base fare at Rs 75 for non-AC cabs and Rs 100 for air-conditioned cabs, which were allowed to charge Rs 22 and Rs 44, respectively, for every subsequent kilometre.

The department, however, withheld a decision on revising the fares for cabs associated with aggregators in view of the need to follow central government rules. The proposal on revising the fares of aggregator cabs has now been sent back to the commissioner in view of the Motor Vehicle Aggregators Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a source in the government said.

According to the source, the commissioner’s old proposal had allowed aggregators to impose surcharges up to three times the fixed fare, which is similar to the city taxi slabs.

The ministry guidelines, however, stipulate that the base fare for aggregators should be the same as the city taxi fare. Additionally, cab aggregators should be allowed to charge 50% lower than and one-and-half times the base fare, according to the guidelines.

New rules to be notified

The ministry guidelines go beyond the fares as they state the rules on the rights and earnings of drivers and the safety of passengers, and lay down the conditions for aggregators.

A senior official said the department had been studying the guidelines in accordance with the state aggregator rules issued in 2016. “Some aspects of the rules are being contested in court. In view of this, the new guidelines are being studied to understand their implications. They will be notified soon,” he added.