Ola under fire in Bengaluru for fare disputes on auto bookings

Asra Mavad, Bengaluru, DHNS (BYLINE)

In the ongoing standoff over high autorickshaw fares on ride-aggregator platforms, Ola has come under criticism for not taking responsibility for the fares displayed on its app.

As per Ola’s updated terms and conditions, the app shows “an indicative range of fare for auto rides based on past trends”, and states that the final price must be agreed upon between the passenger and the driver.

This has led to rising disputes, with many drivers demanding extra money over the app fare.

Message displayed on the Ola app when a customer raises a complaint about extra fare charged by auto drivers. 

"On Wednesday morning, a driver at my pickup point claimed the fare was too low and insisted I pay Rs 80 more. It is the second such incident since Monday," said Akash GD, a corporate employee commuting daily between Malleswaram and Hebbal.

When he tried to complain, the app displayed a message asking users to “agree on the final fare with the driver partner” for future rides.

Neha P Jain, a resident of Koramangala, faced a similar issue on Monday while booking an auto to Indiranagar. Though the driver accepted the ride, he demanded Rs 50 extra at the drop point.

"If I am booking through the app, who is accountable when this happens — the driver, the platform, or both?" she asked.

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh AM said that no formal complaints had been received, but the department is monitoring social media for such reports.

Ola did not respond to DH’s calls.

We will fight this legally: Transport Minister

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told DH that strict guidelines would be introduced for aggregator platforms. "We are collecting evidence to tackle these issues legally. Every service has a government-set base fare, and aggregators are no exception," he said.