Karnataka Transport Department has declared the Ola, Uber, and Rapido auto services illegal, following which the services will be discontinued soon in Bengaluru. According to the Transport Department of Karnataka, the auto services provided by Rapido, Uber, and Ola are illegal under On-Demand Transportation Technology Act 2016 and must be stopped with immediate effect. The department has also issued a notice, according to which vehicle aggregators have to submit a report as soon as possible.
The transport department took the decision after receiving a lot of complaints from general public. According to people, the auto drivers charge exorbitant fares even for shorter distances. The minimum auto fare in Bangalore is fixed at Rs 20 for a distance of up to 2 kilometre, after which Rs 15 will be charged per kilometre. However, the autos run by cab aggregators charge more than Rs 100 even if the distance is below or up to 2 km. This is illegal and must be stopped soon, says the transport department.
Why Is Ola, Uber, and Rapido Auto Service Illegal in Bengaluru?
According to the Transport Commissioner THM Kumar, they have issued licences to Ola, Uber, and Rapido for driving taxis only, as per the On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016. The taxis include cars having a capacity to accommodate passengers less than six, excluding the driver. The rules do not apply to autos and therefore they are illegal and should not be allowed to run on the roads. The autos are moving on the roads violating the laws and are charging extra prices, which is unacceptable.
According to an official statement by L Hemanth Kumar, additional commissioner for transport and secretary, State Transport Authority, “They are not supposed to run autorickshaws with a cab-aggregator license.” Aggregator rules are only for cabs. We’ve asked them to stop autorickshaw services through the app and submit a report,” he added.
According to a notice issued by CCI (Competition Commission of India) on 9 September 2022, the cab aggregators including Ola, Uber, and Meru must follow the rules of Karnataka Transport Department and charge people accordingly, Violation of rules will not be entertained and might lead to legal actions.
Ola, Uber, and Rapido autos have to discontinue their services within a period of three days and passengers should not be charged more than the government-approved rates. Anyone found violating the rules will be dealt legally.
The auto services through apps have been stopped in the city now and the aggregators have been asked to submit a report as soon as possible.
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