Karnataka: RTO starts stringent drive against erring cab aggregators
Bengaluru: Despite a clear notification set out by the state government under the ‘Transportation Technology Aggregators Act 2016’ to cab aggregators like ‘Uber’ and ‘Ola,’ little has been done. The government has been urging them to apply for licenses from the RTO to install gadgets like panic buttons and GPS, but this has met with a lukewarm response. None of them have come forward to apply for a license.
Subsequently, the RTO has started seizing vehicles, but unfortunately, only the drivers of these vehicles have been adversely affected, with their livelihood taken away. Until now, around 300 cabs operating under the tags ‘Uber’ and ‘Ola’ have been seized.
An annoyed Transport Commissioner asks, “What’s stopping them from applying for the necessary permits?” He continues, “When there is a clear directive by the state government to comply with certain rules, they should have immediately implemented them. They are not bothered at all, so we have proceeded with our enforcement.”
On the other hand, drivers who have taken huge loans to purchase a vehicle are at the receiving end. Rajeev M, a driver from Uber said, “My vehicle was seized but I somehow got it released. I was not informed about the new Act by my operator, so how do they expect me to know about it? Why seize my vehicle which is my bread and butter?”
Even though the new Act on cab aggregators regulates surge pricing, it still continues unabated. H G Kumar says, “Before applying for the license under the Act, they will have to comply with all the regulations declared in the Act. We will then check them before granting permission.”
Justifying the surge pricing by cab aggregators, ‘Uber’ and ‘Ola’ give the analogy of the ‘Tatkal provision’ in the Indian Railways, where a driver can earn fast extra money and the passenger can get a cab quickly when there is a shortage of cabs.
