PM Modi promotes carpooling but ecosystem falters in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to save fuel by opting for public transport and carpooling options has brought focus on Bengaluru's carpooling ecosystem, which is struggling to stay afloat.

After the Transport Department announced a brief carpooling ban in 2023, which was soon reversed, the industry is yet to recover from the move, say insiders.

The department had initially mulled a ban, citing safety concerns and the use of unverified whiteboard vehicles. However, it was instead decided that the department would form guidelines for carpooling operations in the state.

More than two years later, the guidelines are yet to be announced.

"There is a big grey area which the government is yet to address, and this is impacting our business every day. Now, there is a public perception that carpooling is illegal, which is not the case. Companies like Wipro, which would earlier promote carpooling among employees, have completely pulled back. Companies ask us to share government documents, which the government itself doesn't provide," said KNM Rao, founder and CEO of Quick Ride, which offers both taxi and carpooling services.

Currently, Quick Ride gets an average of 20,000 bookings per day on peak days, which are Tuesdays and Thursdays, when the corporate crowd heads to offices.

"This is one-third of our pre-Covid bookings. Although many more people still want to use the services, they are apprehensive," he added, urging large-scale IT companies and tech parks to resume promoting the habit of carpooling. "It is the best solution for Bengaluru's traffic problems, especially in key areas like the Outer Ring Road (ORR). With the right push, we can reduce one lakh cars from city roads every day," he added.

The grey area has led to a shrinkage in carpooling avenues, quipped commuters. "I used to sometimes use an app called Go Pool, when I had to go to the airport. It was cost-effective and convenient. It would put me in touch with other travellers at the same time, and we could split the cost. But the last few times I checked, the app wasn't functioning. It seems to have shut down," said Abhishek Menon, a 28-year-old IT professional.

When DH attempted to log onto the app, it showed multiple errors.

In an attempt to revive the carpooling culture, Rapido has launched an 'Auto Seat Share' feature in some parts of Bengaluru on a pilot basis.

"This is currently in the pilot stage. Product and Ops are working to drive adoption of sharing behaviours in Bengaluru. We are currently live on select routes with a refined pricing model designed to provide better earnings for captains and better savings for users, especially during stressful times, having unpredictable supply acceptance behaviour," a Rapido spokesperson said.

Centre must form guidelines: Minister

"We have neither called for a ban nor disturbed the operations of carpooling platforms in any way. We haven't meddled with how they function. Regarding the guidelines, the Centre must take the initiative to form guidelines and set norms in place. So far, it is unheard of for any state to have such guidelines," Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told DH.