The base fare of AC taxis has been fixed at Rs 36.5 and not more than 50% higher fare can be charged for AC taxis. The maximum base fair will be Rs 56.25. (Representational) The West Bengal government has issued a notification to regulate mobile application-based cab services in the state in terms of fare and security of passengers. The Transport Department released the notification on Thursday, fixing the fare and laying down norms to control surcharge on the fares of app-based cabs.
The app aggregators increased the fares arbitrarily on various grounds and several complaints were received by the government in the recent years, the notification said.
The government also made insurance for cab drivers mandatory. The base fare of AC taxis has been fixed at Rs 36.5 and not more than 50% higher fare can be charged for AC taxis. The maximum base fair will be Rs 56.25.
The government has fixed per kilometre fare for an AC taxi at Rs 18.75. Also, an app-based cab can be rented for a maximum of 50% of the fare. As a result, the maximum fare per kilometre will be Rs 28.
At times, app-based cabs used to charge extra fare, especially during festival time or when it rained. But they will not be able to do so anymore.
The state government also laid down rules for cancellation of cab rides. It states that those (passenger or driver) who cancel the ride will have to pay 10% of the proposed fare.
The passenger does not have to pay pick-up charges in any way, if the place from where the driver is to pick is within 3 kilometres.
Besides, the app aggregator must have a server in the state, the notification says. Any state agency can access data from that server at any time, it adds. The data must be stored for a minimum of 3 months to two years.
In addition, the cab must have a vehicle-tracking system for passenger safety. The driver should have two years of cab driving experience and have health insurance of Rs 5 lakh, the norms say.
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