Bengalureans, commuting in the traffic is all set to get more expensive, with app-based cab aggregators agreeing to implement the Karnataka government’s new fare scheme.
Cab drivers of aggregators such as Ola and Uber have been fighting against dwindling incomes and reducing incentives, longer hours and cheaper fares.
In January, the state government notified cab aggregators introduced the Karnataka on-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators rules. Under this, they introduced four slabs of fares depending on the category of the vehicle.
The vehicles have been divided into four classes - A, B, C and D. Category A has the most expensive vehicles, and category D the least expensive.
Transport Commissioner B Dayananda told the Times of India that Ola has given the department an undertaking that it has implemented the new fares, and Uber is expected to do so soon.
“We welcome the efforts taken by the Government of Karnataka to revise the existing fare structure, keeping in mind the interest of hundreds of thousands of driver partners. The revision will help improve their earning potential and create sustainable livelihood opportunities. While it is a step in the right direction, we believe dynamic pricing will help increase reliability for riders and improve asset utilisation for driver partners,” Uber said in a statement in January.
The minimum fare for category A for the first 4 km is Rs 80 - for vehicles that are priced over Rs 16 lakh. Beyond this, the aggregators can charge a minimum of Rs 20/km and a maximum of Rs 45/km.
For category B - vehicles that are priced Rs 10-16 lakh - the minimum fare for the first 4 km is Rs 68. Beyond this, aggregators can charge a minimum of Rs 16/km and a maximum of Rs 34/km.
For category C - vehicles that are priced between Rs 5-10 lakh - the minimum fare for the first 4 km is Rs 52. Beyond this, aggregators can charge a minimum of Rs 12/km and a maximum for the Rs 24/km.
For category D - for vehicles that cost up to Rs 5 lakh (usually UberGO and Ola Micro) - the minimum fare is Rs 44 for the first 4 km. Beyond this, they can charge a minimum of Rs 11/km and a maximum of Rs 22/km.
Announced by the Transport Department in January, the fares kicked in this month. Disgruntled cab drivers even launched their own app called Namma TYGR, backed by HD Kumaraswamy, as a driver-friendly alternative, but it has run into trouble due to licence issues.