Bengaluru: On ride-hailing apps, cabs cheaper than autos

Passengers are surprised to find sedan fares lower than auto fares for some trips.

Over the past week, many hailing rides on the apps have noticed a surprising trend — cab rides are cheaper than auto rides all through
the day. 

On March 17, Aradhana Agrawal, a communications professional, booked a cab on Uber from Yelahanka Railway Junction to the Arakere BPL bus stop on Bannerghatta Road. “It usually costs Rs 600-700. I found a premier cab for just Rs 340, while an auto ride was showing Rs 470,” she says.

Many like Aradhana thought it was just a glitch on the app. The trend was observed on Uber and Ola. But it has persisted for at least a week.

A screenshot from Uber, showing auto rides costing more than cab rides.

Sara (name changed) got a cab on Uber from Maruthisevanagar to M G Road for Rs 88. “Auto rides were available for Rs 130. Cab rides usually cost between Rs 150 and 200,” she says. She also found cabs on Ola cheaper by Rs 20 the same day.

Communications professional Mahesh Babu says Ola and Rapido have been offering cheaper cab rides for long distances for a few weeks. 

We checked...

Metrolife tried booking rides from different locations and found that at most places, cab rides were cheaper than auto rides. On Monday, Ola cab rides between Mahadevapaura and M G Road were priced between Rs 179 and Rs 200, while the fare for an auto ride was Rs 198. A cab ride for the exact same trip on Uber was available for Rs 147, while the auto fare showed Rs 194. 

On Tuesday, Uber cab rides between Mahadevapura and Orion Mall, Rajajinagar, were priced between Rs 245 and Rs 319, while the auto fare was significantly higher at Rs 386.

On Monday and Tuesday, cab rides from Akshayanagar to M G Road were cheaper by Rs 15 to Rs 37. Sometimes, the difference was between Rs 10 and Rs 20, but sedan rides were definitely cheaper than auto rides. 

Drivers’ rues

C Sampath, general secretary of the Adarsh Auto and Taxi Drivers’ Union, says the discounts are a gimmick to lure people to switch to cabs.

“Once passengers get used to cabs, it will become a lifestyle choice. These aggregators will then revise and hike the rates,” he says. The union has about 12,000 auto drivers. “Our drivers are getting fewer rides due to such campaigns,” he says. The union is demanding a minimum fare of Rs 40.

Several auto drivers have noticed a decline in the rides they get on the apps. Arun P, who drives in the Kammanahalli area, had logged into the apps at 10 am on March 15. He says he didn’t find any rides till 1 pm.

Mohammed Maqbool, whose auto was parked near the M G Road metro station on Monday, says he got only five rides on the apps all day. He usually gets about 15 to 20 rides per day.

The cab drivers have their own woes. Vasudeva (name changed), who drives in the Nagawara area, usually gets 20 to 25 rides (including airport ones), but says it has now become difficult for him to meet his daily target of Rs 3,000. “I am rarely getting any airport rides now and the total earnings since the last two weeks have been low,” he added.   

Tanveer Pasha, president, Ola Uber Driver’s and Owner’s Association, says the rates fixed by the government should be enforced on all ride-hailing apps, and they should not undercut auto drives, he says.  

Festival discount?

Why are cab fares lower? It could be because of a seasonal or festival (Holi) promotion, some passengers believe. Regular and long-distance customers are most likely benefiting from the low cab fares, they say. Metrolife contacted Ola and Uber, but as we go to print, neither had responded to our questions.