Not for public transport- Part 1: As rain lashes Pune, auto and cab fares bleed citizens dry

Indian Express

7 hours ago

By Kavyaa Masurkar & Antara Kulkarni
Since the start of the monsoon, commuters in Pune have been grappling with the dual challenge of uncooperative auto rickshaw drivers and soaring fares on app-based platforms.
With many drivers either refusing to ply or demanding extra charge and cab aggregators quoting fares significantly higher than meter rates, passengers are left unsure of what a fair fare is and how much they need to pay..
'It took almost an hour just to book an auto from Pimpri Chinchwad to Lohegaon. When I finally succeeded, the app showed Rs 715 for the ride,' said Trisha Dasgupta, a PR professional.
She added, 'It's worrying how expensive and difficult travel has become in Pune. If we have to spend so much and wait so long, how will middle-class people manage? Either we need a personal vehicle or end up spending excessively on rickshaws and cabs.'
Sai Bhandarkar, a second-year student at BJ Medical College, shared similar concerns.
'Cab and auto rates vary a lot, especially during the rainy season,' she said.
'Most of the time, we're expected to tip the driver up to 30% of the displayed fare just to get a confirmed ride. Also, if you check the same route more than three times on the app, the price shoots up by around 15%.'
Surge pricing has only added to the chaos.
With traffic delays, waterlogged roads, and increased demand during peak hours, commuters say that ride-hailing platforms are capitalising on the inconvenience.
'Especially when there's traffic and when many people are looking to book a ride, tend to increase their prices. It shouldn't be happening,' said Dhirendra Kulkarni, a presales professional.
Meghna Menon, owner of Zenscrawl, a garment store in Koregaon Park, echoed similar feelings. 'Surge pricing for both autos and cabs has become a regular problem,' she said. 'With the metro network still incomplete, people like me don't have many options. The confusion between meter fares and app pricing only makes things worse. Commuting in Pune has become exhausting, and we're often left at the mercy of apps and drivers who take advantage of the situation.'
A media professional talked about how an Uber driver duped her by asking for extra fare for putting on the AC in her cab.
'He said the ruling had just come the evening earlier and showed an old video to convince me. As there were so many new regulations coming up with aggregator vehicles. I believed him and paid an extra Rs 100, only to realise later that I had been duped. Despite raising a complaint, there was no follow-up or refund of the amount. This is what these services have come to.'
At present, Uber autorickshaws in Pune ply by meter leaving many passengers already complaining about the higher-than-usual fares.Ritwick Bhowmick, a sales professional, said that if autos are plying by meters, the concept of surge pricing should not apply in Pune.
'The concept of surge pricing was meant to compensate for the demand – but that should have been there to compensate for the discounted first prices. So why should they be around now,' he said.
Traveling in Pune during monsoon has always troublesome but with autorickshaws and cabs hiking their fares, it has become costlier too.