Our auto fares are fair, Rapido rubbishes transport dept charges

BENGALURU: Ride-hailing companies who run autorickshaw services have rubbished allegations that they are overcharging customers, in response to the Karnataka Transport Department order suspending their services. The department issued an order to companies like Ola, Uber and Rapido, labelling their autorickshaw services illegal, and stating that they are charging exorbitant fares. It stated that the companies had violated the On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016, which the department said only allowed companies to run cabs and not autorickshaws. The department ordered the companies to immediately cease operations of their autorickshaw services, and have given them three days’ time to respond to the notice and also submit a compliance report.

However, a Rapido spokesperson rubbished the allegations, stating that none of its operations in Bengaluru are illegal. “The allegations being made regarding extra money charged by Rapido on auto taxi fares are completely false. All our fares are determined in accordance with the fares decided upon by the state government, and Rapido is not charging any extra money over those fares. Rapido will continue operating in Bengaluru under the ambit of the law,” they said.

The firm pointed out that the allegations were inhumane, as stoppage of the services would negatively affect both their customer base and workers. “Any false allegations levied on our auto taxi services in Bengaluru are not only irrational but also inhumane, as they jeopardize the convenient daily commute of thousands of citizens, and risk the livelihoods of our captains, who rely on us for their daily income,” it stated.Meanwhile, an Ola representative told TNIE the company did not want to respond to the allegations. Despite multiple attempts, Uber could not be reached for comment.