Surge pricing was the order of the day with commuters getting exorbitant quotes or no-service messages from ride-hailing companies as the early morning heavy spell of rain on Wednesday gridlocked traffic in the city. If some areas were waterlogged, the cascading effect was traffic jams that stretched for miles.
“From Kacheguda to Kondapur the normal price is ₹350 but at 8 a.m. it showed ₹1112. From Masjid Banda to Ramalayam the normal price is ₹ 40 but at 9 a.m. it was ₹ 200 a five-fold increase. The fare between Himayatnagar to Kondapur doubled from normal ₹ 350 to ₹ 700,” said Madhavi Kurram.
‘No cabs’
“To avoid surge pricing I booked a cab ahead for the morning. I even received the confirmation message and the driver’s details. He called me as scheduled and asked me where I was to be dropped. The moment I told him the location, I received a message from cab service that no cabs were available! So not really a surge pricing story but I suspect it has something to do with the surge economy!” said Usha Raman, who teaches at the University of Hyderabad. Many of the cab users preferred going by an auto rather than shell out the higher tariff demanded by ride hailing companies.
“From Chikkadpally to Shivam Road, a distance of under 4 km I was quoted ₹ 200. I chose to go by an auto and paid the driver ₹ 20 more,” said Rajesh Asopa. One commuter was quoted ₹ 700 at 8.15 a.m. for a trip between Champapet and Banjara Hills, while another had to bear with three cancellations before she could make the trip to her office in Somajiguda.
“The government should put a ceiling on the surge pricing at 100%. Otherwise, we will all be fleeced at the first opportunity. Surge pricing is supposedly due to fewer cabs and more demand during peak hours, rains etc... but I think the reason is something else,” said another regular user of ride hailing app services.