NEW DELHI: Transport service provider Uber will withdraw its company-run private taxis by the end of the year and limit itself to being only a cab aggregator, company representatives told a joint committee of parliament on personal data protection bill on Thursday.
This was announced by Uber’s president Prabhjeet Singh, public policy head Rajiv Agarwal and legal director, Joy Mishra, while deposing before the JPC, and conveyed in response to queries by committee members about the conflict of interest arising from the company starting out as a cab aggregator, but turning into a transport company and running its own cabs for hire.
Uber initially said it is not a transport company, but eventually submitted that its company-owned cabs will be withdrawn from the Indian markets and it would only function as an aggregator for third-party rides. Ola Cabs, the Indian ridesharing company, however, remained noncommittal when asked about a similar conflict of interest.
Both Ola and Uber also agreed to comply with any Indian legislation on data protection, even as panel members probed both platforms on the extent of Chinese investments they have received.
On Friday, the panel will hear depositions by Truecaller and Bharti Airtel, after which the committee has decided to summon some key global payment technology companies.