‘Stranger’ riders road block say some

Hyderabad: Despite being an eco-and-pocket-friendly transportation solution, carpooling comes with its challenges. Some commuters feel that the extended wait times, frequent detours for multiple pickups and drops, and general discomfort while sharing rides with unknown people are issues that have led to carpooling finding limited takers."Confirming a booking is difficult through carpooling as at times people change plans at the last minute, or the route changes at the last minute," said Dhanush Gangadhar, who uses a mobile app to carpool.Also, some transportation experts feel that the extent of its impact on traffic congestion is limited. "Even if dedicated green channels are established, as suggested by the chief minister, for carpooling vehicles, it will have limited impact because cars don't constitute a major part of the traffic on our roads," said Velmurugan S, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at the Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi. Cabbies reiterate the problem of riding with ‘strangers'. According to them it is the key reason that's plagued carpooling since its introduction by taxi aggregators in 2017-18. "Right from the inception, we saw issues when strangers carpool. Some passengers are fixated upon the front seat, then there's the issue of men and women sharing rear seats. Some want to smoke which doesn't go down well with others," said Shaik Salauddin, state president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union. "Drop location disputes further complicate matters. They put the pin as main road but ask us to go further inside, irking other passengers," Salauddin added. These challenges, he said, have led to major platforms discontinuing carpooling services in Hyderabad.The legal status of carpooling adds another layer of complexity. "Carpooling is illegal as per law, and other states' transport departments have taken action already," Salauddin pointed out. He explained that private vehicles with white number plates cannot be used for commercial purposes, which requires yellow plates. Despite these violations, he noted that govt authorities have not taken significant action.