Pune: A video showing an argument between passengers and an Uber auto-rickshaw driver over the fare has gone viral on social media. The passengers alleged that the driver insisted on charging them according to the meter despite accepting their booking through the app.
The passengers said they had booked the auto to reach Hadapsar Railway Station and waited around 15 minutes for the driver. They also said they needed to reach a hospital urgently. The argument began when the driver reportedly told the passengers that they would have to pay according to the meter instead of the fare shown on Uber.
Passengers Question Driver for Accepting Booking
In the video, the passengers can be heard questioning the driver about why he accepted the booking if he was unwilling to travel at the fare displayed on the app.
When the driver reportedly said that the app showed a lower fare, the passengers asked him why he continued to accept bookings through Uber.
The exchange soon turned into a heated argument. The driver challenged the passengers' allegations, while they accused him of wasting their time by accepting the booking and then insisting on a different fare.
The video ends with the passengers reiterating that drivers should not accept app-based bookings if they are unwilling to follow the fares displayed on the platform.
Pune Commuters Have Raised Similar Complaints
The incident comes amid recurring complaints from commuters in Pune about auto-rickshaw drivers accepting bookings through app-based platforms such as Uber, Ola and Rapido but refusing to travel at the quoted fares.
On March 20, 2026, The Free Press Journal reported that commuters were facing problems with drivers insisting on meter-based fares or asking passengers to cancel their bookings. A Deputy Regional Transport Office (RTO) official had said action was being taken against violators.
On March 31, the media had reported that commuters continued to face demands for higher fares. Some passengers alleged that drivers used mobile calculators to quote fares of ₹25 to ₹30 per kilometre, sometimes exceeding the amount displayed on the app.
A similar controversy resurfaced on July 19, when it was reported that an Uber driver in Pune had allegedly demanded an additional ₹30 per kilometre beyond the app fare.
The latest video has once again highlighted the dispute between passengers and auto-rickshaw drivers over fares and the use of app-based booking services.
The date of the latest incident, the identities of those involved and the driver's account of the dispute could not be independently verified. The video alone does not establish whether any fare regulation was violated.
