Latest news with #RTA-approved
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cabbies threaten to boycott Uber app from today, fares may surge
Pune: Cab rides in the city, Mumbai and Nagpur may be dearer because the Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha, a wing of the Indian Gig Workers' Front, has threatened to boycott the Uber platform from Friday. "Uber approached the Bombay high court against the ongoing protest and strike of cab drivers, following which the court restrained protesting unions and their members from stopping or blocking Uber cabs. Ola and Rapido didn't approach the court like Uber. While we are looking for legal options, cabbies will boycott the Uber application," Keshav Kshirsagar, the president of the Indian Gig Workers' Front, said, after a meeting between the the senior office-bearers of the union and representatives of Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur RTOs at the transport commissioner's office in Mumbai. A majority of cabbies tend to use the Uber application in Pune, a source said. "Cabbies can work on all three applications. With Uber being boycotted, there will definitely be surge pricing," Kshirsagar said. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune TOI sent a message to the Uber spokesperson seeking the firm's stand on the app boycott plan of the cabbies. A reply was awaited till going to press. Commuters are worried over the cabbie's plan to boycott the Uber app. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "Each day, we are being hassled by the cabbies. The fares have shot up. A majority of cabbies opt for the Regional Transport Authority (RTA)-approved fares, not what reflects on the applications. Why doesn't the Pune RTO take any action against them is beyond my understanding," said Koregaon Park's Rajesh Shinde. In Pune, the RTA-approved rate for cabs is Rs75 for the first 3km and Rs25 for every subsequent km. Kshirsagar, the president of the Indian Gig Workers' Front, said nothing concrete came out in Thursday's meeting. "The aggregators had assured in Wednesday's meeting that they would give a letter mentioning the date from when the RTA-approved fares would reflect in their applications. But no such letter has been provided by any of the companies, following which the meeting was convened on Thursday. The officials said RTAs, headed by district collectors, decide these matters. We cannot go on a strike because the high court has prevented us from doing the same. But cabbies can boycott the Uber application," he added.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ola, Uber & Rapido told to justify rates; RTA-approved fares to pinch pocket
The transport commissioner 's office on Tuesday directed Ola , Uber and Rapido to submit a written explanation on how they determine fares as Indian Gig Workers' Front continued a pause on the strike of app-based cabs , which was going to be resumed on Wednesday. Additional transport commissioner Bharat Kalaskar said, "We had two meetings on Tuesday with firm officials and union leaders. After discussions, we decided that Ola, Uber, and Rapido should provide us with a written explanation on how they determine the app-based fares for cabs and autorickshaws in various cities, and how much they differ from the RTO-approved rates." The demand for high fares has been the reason for agitation by hundreds of drivers across the state. Kalaskar said he has asked the aggregator company if any drivers' IDs have been blocked lately for charging at RTA-approved rates, those IDs should be reactivated. In Pune, the RTA approved fares stand at Rs. 75 for the first 3km and then Rs 25 for every subsequent km. If RTA-approved fare system, as assured by the state transport department, comes into effect, a 10km cab ride for people would cost at least Rs 249.50. At present, the average cab fare (non-surge) for the same distance is around Rs 175 for a basic Uber ride (Uber Go). Commuters blamed the Pune RTO for letting the issue escalate. "They should have acted when this whole issue started. But they hid under the garb that commuters would be affected if they took action. Aren't we facing the problems now?" Kalpana Seth, a bank employee from Kondhwa, said. Maharashtra Kamgar Sena president Keshav Kshirsagar said: "The (state transport department) officials have assured us Ola, Uber and Rapido will give a written assurance to the department on Wednesday on introducing RTA-based fares on their platforms. In the application they will also mention the date from which the RTA-approved fares will get reflected." Prashant Sawardekar, president of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transporters , said, "The transport officials informed us on Tuesday that govt will soon come out with a new policy, which will define the fares for app-based cabs. But we are against this state policy, as Centre has issued guidelines that are completely different. The central guidelines for aggregators mention that the surge price for cabs can go up to 50% of the base fare (which is up to Rs 48 per km). This is not part of the state draft policy." Sushmita Ghosh took to X on Tuesday and posted, "...New airport has all possible inconveniences. The drivers are accepting rides from tired and frustrated travellers, but upon arrival cancelling the trip and telling the passengers to pay Rs 300-400 more." Aneesha Acharya replied to the post and posted, "Today, I booked an Uber ride to go to a hospital in Pimpri from the camp area. Fare on app was Rs 295. On arrival the driver insisted that I pay Rs 700 for 20km. I called Uber support and was shocked to hear 'you have to pay by meter, rates not yet fixed'."
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ola, Uber & Rapido told to justify rates; RTA-approved fares to pinch pocket
Mumbai/Pune: The transport commissioner's office on Tuesday directed Ola , Uber and Rapido to submit a written explanation on how they determine fares as Indian Gig Workers' Front continued a pause on the strike of app-based cabs, which was going to be resumed on Wednesday. Additional transport commissioner Bharat Kalaskar said, "We had two meetings on Tuesday with firm officials and union leaders. After discussions, we decided that Ola, Uber, and Rapido should provide us with a written explanation on how they determine the app-based fares for cabs and autorickshaws in various cities, and how much they differ from the RTO-approved rates." The demand for high fares has been the reason for agitation by hundreds of drivers across the state. Kalaskar said he has asked the aggregator company if any drivers' IDs have been blocked lately for charging at RTA-approved rates, those IDs should be reactivated. In Pune, the RTA approved fares stand at Rs. 75 for the first 3km and then Rs 25 for every subsequent km. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune If RTA-approved fare system, as assured by the state transport department, comes into effect, a 10km cab ride for people would cost at least Rs 249.50. At present, the average cab fare (non-surge) for the same distance is around Rs 175 for a basic Uber ride (Uber Go). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do you have a mouse? Desert Order Undo Commuters blamed the Pune RTO for letting the issue escalate. "They should have acted when this whole issue started. But they hid under the garb that commuters would be affected if they took action. Aren't we facing the problems now?" Kalpana Seth, a bank employee from Kondhwa, said. Maharashtra Kamgar Sena president Keshav Kshirsagar said: "The (state transport department) officials have assured us Ola, Uber and Rapido will give a written assurance to the department on Wednesday on introducing RTA-based fares on their platforms. In the application they will also mention the date from which the RTA-approved fares will get reflected." Prashant Sawardekar, president of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transporters, said, "The transport officials informed us on Tuesday that govt will soon come out with a new policy, which will define the fares for app-based cabs. But we are against this state policy, as Centre has issued guidelines that are completely different. The central guidelines for aggregators mention that the surge price for cabs can go up to 50% of the base fare (which is up to Rs 48 per km). This is not part of the state draft policy." Sushmita Ghosh took to X on Tuesday and posted, "...New airport has all possible inconveniences. The drivers are accepting rides from tired and frustrated travellers, but upon arrival cancelling the trip and telling the passengers to pay Rs 300-400 more." Aneesha Acharya replied to the post and posted, "Today, I booked an Uber ride to go to a hospital in Pimpri from the camp area. Fare on app was Rs 295. On arrival the driver insisted that I pay Rs 700 for 20km. I called Uber support and was shocked to hear 'you have to pay by meter, rates not yet fixed'."
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Gig workers postpone auto, cab strike after commuters' harrowing experience
Pune: The Indian Gig Workers' Front on Saturday evening suspended the ongoing strike of cabs and autorickshaws operating on applications till Tuesday, after leaving many commuters, including those arriving at the airport on Saturday morning, hassled. Keshav Kshirsagar, the president of the front, said, "We have a meeting on Tuesday with senior officials of the state transport department. If its decisions don't meet our expectations, the strike will resume." Several commuters had a harrowing experience on roads on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday. Cabs and autos were hard to come by. The fortunate ones getting vehicles had to fork out double the average fare. Worse, a few got a taste of unruly drivers' misbehaviour. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Pratik Chhoriyaan, an IT professional, landed in Pune in the early hours of Saturday. "People were stranded at Aeromall's first and second floor outside the Pune airport because of the strike. Some auto and cab drivers on duty demanded over Rs1,000 for an 8km distance." Aviral Bhatnagar, an investor, wrote on X, "Pune's having Ola/Uber/Rapido cab drivers' strike to raise prices. What earlier cost Rs350 now costs Rs700. One asked me to pay Rs1,000 instead of Rs300. In the quest for maximising profits, cab drivers are killing the golden goose of cab aggregators." Dinesh Tiwari, a resident of Wanowrie, struggled to find a cab to go to his office. "My car went for servicing two days ago, and it has been a big challenge finding a cab or an auto. I have been paying Rs300-400 to travel a short distance of 7km." Anvesh Kulkarni, a resident of Hadapsar, tried to book a cab multiple times on Saturday morning but failed. "I had to take my family to Koregaon Park for a function. We tried booking autorickshaws and cabs for an hour, but failed. Finally, I called up an autorickshaw driver known to us. He dropped us for Rs450," he said. Dilip Sonawane, a cab driver on these aggregators since 2015, said, "We are demanding the updated fares the RTO has allowed us to charge. Since the same fares are not showing up on the app, customers do not want to pay the revised amount. Most customers say they will pay the new rates if these reflect on the app. Ola, Uber and Rapido are refusing to update the rates. This is causing major confusion among commuters." Prakash Rajguru, the president of LV Antaral Autorickshaw Sanghatana, who operates prepaid autorickshaws from the Pune airport, said their business revived in the past two days after months of stalemate. "The strike left flyers with no option but to come to us. We have done brisk business. Each of us made multiple trips. We charged fares as per the RTA-approved pre-paid rates. Flyers with more luggage hired two or even three autorickshaws because they didn't have a choice," Rajguru said. Another prepaid auto driver talked about an incident in the early morning hours. "A passenger negotiating with an auto driver was stunned because he was asked for a fare of Rs2,000 for going to Hinjewadi-phase-1. When I saw him moving towards the AeroMall, I requested him to book a ride with us from the counter. He did that. We gave him a receipt of Rs525, and a colleague of mine took him to his destination," he said.
Al Etihad
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
More passengers per car could help reduce congestion, suggests a survey
17 July 2025 09:52 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI) More than half of car users in Abu Dhabi drive alone, a trend that could be contributing to the persistent traffic congestion reported across the emirates, according to a new survey conducted by RoadSafetyUAE in partnership with Al Wathba study, based on responses from 1,021 UAE residents in June 2025, found that 51% of Abu Dhabi motorists travel without any passengers. The figure is slightly higher for the UAE overall, at 54%, with Sharjah recording the highest solo-driver rate at 62%, followed by other emirates at 56%, and Dubai at 53%.Conversely, only 22% of car users in Abu Dhabi typically travel with one other passenger. This number varies across the country, reaching 25% in Dubai, 18% in other emirates, and a notably low 12% in Sharjah. The proportion of vehicles carrying a driver plus two passengers ranges between 15% and 17% across the findings highlight a clear opportunity for increasing car occupancy as a means to ease congestion. In Dubai, 43% of car users reported travelling with one or more passengers, the highest rate among all emirates. This compares to 39% in Abu Dhabi, 33% in other emirates, and just 28% in Sharjah.'Especially considering the high number of motorists travelling alone in their cars without passengers, we need to find ways to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads,' said Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE. 'From a road safety perspective, traffic congestion should be avoided. They trigger high levels of stress and frustration and can cause misbehaviour which carries the risk of accidents. We must raise awareness for polite and caring manners on the road.'The report suggests that legal carpooling could be a viable strategy to reduce the volume of vehicles. Encouraging people heading to the same destination to travel together in a single vehicle could significantly reduce congestion, although this could bring regulatory and logistical asked about carpooling services in the UAE, Thomas Edelmann, Founder of RoadSafetyUAE, told Aletihad that shared services are permitted in Dubai only through RTA-approved platforms or apps such as Sharekni. 'While many see it as a way to save money and reduce traffic, the RTA strictly regulates carpooling to ensure safety and to prevent unauthorised taxi services. Unlicensed carpooling can result in fines,' he also pointed out that the RTA offers app-based bus pooling services such as Citylink Shuttle, DrivenBus, and Fluxx Daily, providing an alternative form of shared added that while carpooling could offer benefits, it also carries risks. 'Carpooling is considered cautiously, as it might lead to the proliferation of illegal and unlicensed taxis, which would defeat the purpose and spirit behind regulated shared mobility initiatives,' Edelmann Raman, Chief Financial Officer of Al Wathba Insurance, said the study aimed to better understand motorists' concerns and travel patterns. 'We want to give the concerned traffic participants a voice. As one of the leading motor insurers in the UAE, we are committed to staying relevant to the evolving needs of our customers and improving their daily lives. That's why we teamed up with RoadSafetyUAE on this important research project,' he broader survey also shed light on the emotional and behavioural dimensions of road use in the UAE. A significant 47% of respondents reported feeling frustrated, stressed, or anxious when caught in traffic jams—highlighting the mental toll of daily congestion. More concerningly, 82% of motorists said they very often or sometimes witnessed rude or aggressive driving behaviour during such conditions, including tailgating, sudden lane changes, or verbal confrontations. The findings underscore the need for not just infrastructure solutions, but also public awareness campaigns to encourage courteous and patient driving habits. Meanwhile, the study reaffirmed the UAE's deep reliance on private transport, with 92% of respondents saying they depend on road transport daily, and 60% relying specifically on their own vehicles. These patterns further emphasise the urgency of exploring alternatives such as carpooling and improved public transport to ease road pressure and enhance commuter well-being.
