Mumbai: A Mumbai court has ordered ride-hailing platform Uber to pay a sum of Rs 20,000 to a woman customer who missed her flight due to delay in services by Uber. As per a Times Now report, Uber was found guilty of deficiency in services.
The consumer court has asked Uber has to pay Rs 10,000 for mental agony and Rs 10,000 as litigation cost to the complainant Kavita Sharma.
The woman is an advocate by profession. She had missed her flight to Chennai (scheduled at 5:50 pm) back in June, 2018. Kavita Sharma had booked the cab at 3:29 pm and the cab arrived 14 minutes later.
After the delayed pick-up, the Uber driver took a wrong route to Mumbai airport. This again delayed her by at least 15-20 minutes. By the time Sharma reached the airport, she had missed the flight.
Reportedly, the driver was on a phone call and started the ride only after his call ended.
Ride aggregators fined in Bengaluru
Earlier this month, three ride aggregators received notices from the Karnataka Transport Department, ordering them to stop their rickshaw operations within three days. The decision came after commuters complained about the companies overcharging them even for short distances.
Many have also called out Ola and Uber for charging at least Rs 100, even if they travel for less than two kilometres. The transport commissioner has also mentioned that aggregators are only allowed to provide cab services, and the auto-rickshaw services are going against regulations.
Auto drivers also unhappy with aggregators
This ultimatum to ride hailing services to halt rickshaw rides, comes after almost 300 cases of overcharging were registered against them last month. Apart from passengers, auto drivers are also unhappy with the platforms, as their union is set to launch a Namma Yatri app of its own against Ola and Uber.
Ride hailing platforms have also faced opposition from local taxi and auto unions in Mumbai in the past, while auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai went on a strike earlier this year, demanding a ban on private apps. They also called on the government to create an app of its own with a 15 per cent commission.
Drivers stressed by fuel prices
Even as apps are charging high rates, Uber and Ola drivers had started turning off ACs and asking for extra money to turn them on, to protest rising fuel prices earlier this year. They later protested against CNG rates in Delhi, leaving passengers to struggle with surge pricing during their strike.
