The skyrocketing price of app-baed cab booking service providers is leaving customers baffled. A recent bill from Uber may force you to think twice before you hit their app to book a ride next time.
Uber’s prices are rising and commuters have no other option than to whine. However, the duopoly of Uber and Ola in the market, and the surprise silence from the regulating bodies have left people with no other choice.
Until some time back Uber and Ola were the most convenient method of transportation available at a very affordable price for anyone. The situation, however, has changed. It’s indeed a convenient service available at a click of a button, but not affordable anymore.
Uber surge pricing in India
An Indian citizen living in Noida was shocked after booking a Uber taxi from Delhi Airport to his home located in Greater Noida. He was charged Rs 2,935 for just 45 km ride.
Debarshi Dasgupta, a Noida resident, made use of Twitter to express his unhappiness and frustration with Uber in a series of tweets. He claimed that the taxi meter showed 147.39 km, three times the distance he had traveled.
“I hate going public about poor service, but I have no other choice, @Uber_India. I had to pay Rs 2,935 to get a taxi from Delhi airport’s Terminal 2 to my Noida home (around 45kms) on August 5”. He wrote that he was charged for 147.39 kilometers – half the distance to Jaipur.
Debarshi claimed that the app estimated the fare of Rs 1,143 at the time of booking. But after the driver ended the trip, the app charged him Rs 2,935.
He also added that the pick-up and drop locations were incorrect as well. He requested Uber to pay attention and sort out the mess and return the excess amount.
Debarshi was also frustrated by Uber’s complaints redressal system. Uber responded to his tweets by saying that they were investigating the matter.
After putting out his tweets Debarshi quickly learned that this was not a single incident. Responding to Debarshi’s post, another Uber user said that they had done something similar in the past; Uber charged around 3-3.5K for T3 to Noida.
While both above incidents seem to be a case of a calculation error, Uber surge pricing has become a nightmare. The company claims that the surge rates will only apply if you travel during peak hours. Uber had previously raised the fares in order to protect drivers from the impact of rising fuel prices.
Whatever the case, one thing is certain; Uber and Ola are no more affordable commute options, and after establishing a duopoly in the Indian market, they seem to be in no mood to revisit their pricing model.
