Commuters in Pune claim fleecing by cabbies spurred by inaction of authorities

Pune: Commuters in the city frequently using aggregator cab services claim that misbehaviour and fleecing by drivers is rapidly rising, especially due to the lack of promised action taken by authorities against malpractices. In a recent incident on Oct 27, an elderly couple, who had booked an Uber cab from Wakad to Warje, said they were abused because they asked the cab driver to switch on the AC in the vehicle. Business professional Praful Ballari, the son of the couple, told TOI that his parents were informed that they would be charged extra for an AC ride. "The cab driver told my father that fares are different for AC and non-AC cabs. The reality is that there are no non-AC cabs in the city. However, the driver blatantly lied that such instructions have come from state and Central govts. He refused to listen to the customers," said Ballari. "My father called me and I also tried to reason with the cabbie but in vain. While still on the call, I heard the driver abuse my father. This caught me off guard and I immediately asked them to stop the ride. The cabbie stopped near Hinjewadi bus stand and demanded that my father cancel the ride. Fearing trouble, my father did so. We complained to Uber about the incident and they assured action, but I am yet to hear from them," Ballari added. Kedarinagar resident Suresh Kantur reported a similar incident on Oct 29. "I had taken a cab from Pune railway station and the driver refused to attend to my request to switch on the AC. When I insisted, he said I would have to pay him Rs100 more. No reasons were given. I decided to end the ride in just 15 minutes when I saw him getting agitated. I was scared and paid him the entire ‘meter' fare of Rs340 till my destination, despite not being ferried there," said Kantur, a working professional. Kaustabhi Singh wrote on X on Saturday, "Drivers are refusing to go by Uber fare, are getting abusive and refusing to switch on the AC despite booking a sedan. The only solution is to stop using cabs in the city." Another commuter with the handle @saurabhS1975 also shared his story on X on Nov 1, saying, "Drivers tend to call the customer and say that application fares won't apply, and the fare will be Rs21 per km for non-AC and Rs24 per km for AC rides. It is the same with Ola, Uber and Rapido cabbies." Last week, Pune regional transport officer (RTO) Archana Gaikwad had assured action would be launched against cab drivers demanding fare from the unauthorised website ‘onlymeter.in', as well as other malpractices. The official claimed they have received no official complaints on this issue, but said officials posing as customers would hold random checks. Last month, state transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar had also assured such a drive. Attempts by TOI to contact both officials for comment on Sunday were unfruitful. However, an RTO official, choosing to stay unnamed, confirmed that such checks are yet to begin. "The drive is in planning stages now. Hopefully, it will start from this week and focus on the meter fare issue," the official told TOI.Another cab user and working professional, Rupesh Bawe, who faced a similar issue in Sept, said, "I refused to end the ride, after which the cabbie just drove off, abusing me. Each time we raise complaints on aggregator platforms, an automated reply comes and no action is initiated. These problems have been going on for months. What is the use of assurances and promises if authorities cannot honour them? The weather is hot and humid these days, so why are cabbies conveniently asking for extra money to switch on the AC? It is an obvious ploy to fleece commuters. Officials are not taking the issue seriously."