<p>The sudden halt in bookings on electric cab-hailing platform BluSmart disrupted airport commutes in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a> on Thursday. At Kempegowda International Airport, the BluSmart pickup point stood deserted, with access barricaded. Drivers from another platform waited nearby, hoping to find passengers.</p>.<p>The airport staff were seen redirecting flyers from the BluSmart zone to Ola, Uber, and government-run KSTDC taxi stands. One flyer was spotted trying to book a BluSmart cab on the app, unaware of the suspension. “I preferred it over other ride-hailing apps as it was cheaper,” he said, expressing disappointment. He eventually opted for the airport bus.</p>.<p>According to an Ola driver, a fleet of around 400 BluSmart cabs used to service the airport. </p>.<p>Across the city and on social media platforms like X, users raised concerns about recovering their balance from BluSmart’s prepaid Blu Wallet, which required users to load money into the app before booking rides.</p>.BluSmart cab services stay suspended in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai as co-founder under Sebi lens.<p>A Bannerghatta Road resident with Rs 556 in his Blu wallet wondered how he would get his money back. He still praised the service for its comfort and reliability, except for one instance when a cab didn’t arrive due to low battery. “They’d switch on the AC without being asked, and the rides were more comfortable. In a city where commuting is tough, it’s one less option now,” he said.</p>.<p>A Banaswadi resident, who frequently used BluSmart while traveling in Delhi, added, “Drivers always arrived early for pre-booked rides and never cancelled. They were professional. The cars were also cleaner and better maintained than other aggregators.”</p>.<p>Purushottam V, a resident of Babusapalya, said it will be difficult to go back to using other cab aggregators now. “BluSmart was very useful for my daily commute as cabs were easy to get, there was no waiting time and the rides were comfortable and smooth because the cars were EVs,” he explained.</p>.<p><strong>What happened</strong></p>.<p>Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Board of India barred BluSmart founder-brothers Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi from the stock market and ordered a forensic probe into their listed company, Gensol Engineering. The investigation centres on allegations that funds meant for electric vehicle procurement were diverted to purchase luxury apartments. BluSmart stopped accepting bookings on Wednesday evening and remained offline through Thursday.</p>.<p><em>(With inputs from Barkha Kumari.)</em></p>
<p>The sudden halt in bookings on electric cab-hailing platform BluSmart disrupted airport commutes in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a> on Thursday. At Kempegowda International Airport, the BluSmart pickup point stood deserted, with access barricaded. Drivers from another platform waited nearby, hoping to find passengers.</p>.<p>The airport staff were seen redirecting flyers from the BluSmart zone to Ola, Uber, and government-run KSTDC taxi stands. One flyer was spotted trying to book a BluSmart cab on the app, unaware of the suspension. “I preferred it over other ride-hailing apps as it was cheaper,” he said, expressing disappointment. He eventually opted for the airport bus.</p>.<p>According to an Ola driver, a fleet of around 400 BluSmart cabs used to service the airport. </p>.<p>Across the city and on social media platforms like X, users raised concerns about recovering their balance from BluSmart’s prepaid Blu Wallet, which required users to load money into the app before booking rides.</p>.BluSmart cab services stay suspended in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai as co-founder under Sebi lens.<p>A Bannerghatta Road resident with Rs 556 in his Blu wallet wondered how he would get his money back. He still praised the service for its comfort and reliability, except for one instance when a cab didn’t arrive due to low battery. “They’d switch on the AC without being asked, and the rides were more comfortable. In a city where commuting is tough, it’s one less option now,” he said.</p>.<p>A Banaswadi resident, who frequently used BluSmart while traveling in Delhi, added, “Drivers always arrived early for pre-booked rides and never cancelled. They were professional. The cars were also cleaner and better maintained than other aggregators.”</p>.<p>Purushottam V, a resident of Babusapalya, said it will be difficult to go back to using other cab aggregators now. “BluSmart was very useful for my daily commute as cabs were easy to get, there was no waiting time and the rides were comfortable and smooth because the cars were EVs,” he explained.</p>.<p><strong>What happened</strong></p>.<p>Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Board of India barred BluSmart founder-brothers Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi from the stock market and ordered a forensic probe into their listed company, Gensol Engineering. The investigation centres on allegations that funds meant for electric vehicle procurement were diverted to purchase luxury apartments. BluSmart stopped accepting bookings on Wednesday evening and remained offline through Thursday.</p>.<p><em>(With inputs from Barkha Kumari.)</em></p>