The cost of procuring a taxi ride from Bangalore International Airport has escalated in recent times, attributed to the augmented pick-up fees imposed by Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL). As a consequential effect of this regulatory adjustment, both Uber and Ola have unequivocally transmitted the heightened charges to the end consumers, reflecting a surge of 20-40% in service fares. Consequently, it is anticipated that other app-based taxi services will promptly align with this incremental pricing as well.
The Karnataka transport department, in an order issued on February 3, 2024, announced revised cab fares for aggregators. The minimum fare for the first 4 km was set at Rs 100, with every subsequent km charged at Rs 24 for entry-level cabs. The flexible-fare option in this order has been eliminated, requiring operators to adhere to fixed rates. Vehicles are categorized based on cost, with three tiers of fares.
Three major issues dodging the ride-hailing industry are high commission rates by cab aggregators cutting into the cab drivers’ earnings, peak-hour price hikes for customers and the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) violations.
LocalCircles has conducted a survey to find out how residents of this mega city view the services of Uber, Ola and BluSmart. It found that cab users have been facing a number of issues ranging from surge pricing, cab cancellation, unruly drivers, and others.
Here are the key findings:
1. Uber consumers
Around85% Uber consumers in Bangalore reported issues like drivers cancelling rides, talking on mobile while driving and surge pricing. The biggest complaint by 69% of respondents is “drivers talking on mobile”; 54% indicated “surge pricing/ too expensive”; 46% stated “driver cancelled ride”; 38% of respondents stated, “vehicle not clean”; 8% stated “customer service not responsive”; 8% complained that “driver not courteous”; 8% indicated that they had “safety concerns with the driver” and 31% indicated “other issues” not mentioned.
2. Ola consumers
About 93% Ola consumers surveyed in Bangalore experienced reported issues such as dirty vehicles, driver chatting on mobile while driving and surge pricing. Around 78% indicating “surge pricing / too expensive”; 69% stating “driver talking on mobile”; 69% stating “vehicle not clean”; 62% stating “driver cancelled ride”; 54% of respondents stating “driver not courteous”; 47% of respondents stating “customer service not responsive”; 23% had “safety concern with the driver”; and 16% of respondents had “other issues” not mentioned. In addition, 16% of respondents did not give a clear answer and 7% stated that they had no grievance as “it was wonderful, no issues faced”.
3. BluSmart consumers
Around 61% BluSmart consumers surveyed in Bangalore reported drivers talking on mobile, not being courteous and being non-responsive. About 61% of respondents is “driver not courteous”; 61% indicated that “driver was talking on mobile” while driving; 39% of respondents indicated that “customer service was not responsive”; 21% shared that they had “safety concerns with the driver”; and 21% indicated that they were “forced to book a rental instead of a point-to-point ride/ too expensive”.
The transportation landscape in Bangalore has witnessed a notable transformation in the span of the last 2 years, marked by the rapid proliferation of app-based taxi platforms such as Namma Yatri and Nano Travels within the city. In the mid of this evolution, it is worth mentioning that the Karnataka government revealed intentions over a year ago to introduce its proprietary ride-hailing application, suggesting a potential diversification within the market in the foreseeable future.