Mumbai's Ola, Uber, Rapido adopt black-yellow cab fare as drivers demand hike

The cab aggregators have agreed to adopt the base fare till the government finalises prices for them.

App-based cab aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido in Maharashtra's Mumbai have been directed to follow the base fares of black-and-yellow taxis till the government decides on separate rates for them.

The existing fare of black-and- yellow taxis is ₹20.66 per km for non-AC vehicles and ₹22.72 per km for AC vehicles(Unsplash)

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has directed app-based cab and auto aggregators to incorporate the existing fare structure of black-and-yellow taxis in their mobile applications before 5 pm on September 18.

The existing fare of black-and- yellow taxis is ₹20.66 per km for non-AC vehicles and ₹22.72 per km for AC vehicles, according to a letter from the MMRTA dated September 16. MMRTA secretary Bharat Kalaskar said that the base fare can be discounted by 25 per cent when the demand is low, while a 1.5 times surge is allowed during a high-demand period, PTI news agency reported. The drivers will be get 80 per cent of the total fare collected.

Kalaskar said that MMRTA had earlier held with aggregators and they have agreed to the decision. The decision to revise the fares for app-based app-based taxis and auto rickshaws was taken after the drivers threatened an agitation if the government failed to give them a fare hike. Under the new revised rates, passengers will have to pay at least ₹5 extra per kilometer. The cab-based aggregators currently charge ₹15-16 as base fare for smaller cabs.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Gig Kamgar Manch, a union of gig workers including drivers of app-based cabs and autos, organised a meeting in Mumbai. A group of drivers also went to the Transport Commissioner's office at Flora Fountain to protest the government's decision to give licences to motorbike taxis.

The protesters also put up placards with "Ola Uber and Rapido Mantralay" written on them on the boards at the Transport Commissioner's office, and shouted slogans "Tesla Mantri haay haay" against Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik.

He recently purchased a Tesla for his personal use. The union has also threatened a more intense agitation on September 30 if the government fails to hike the fare of app-based taxis and gives licences to bike taxis.