No relief for cab users in Pune even after suspension of onlymeter.in

Pune: Commuters in the city said they continue to face harassment even after the controversial websiteonlymeter.in, which was long blamed for enabling arbitrary fare calculations by cab drivers, has gone inactive for now. According to the cab users, the only change is that instead of the website, cabbies are now using mobile phone calculators to demand inflated fares.Working professional Subodh Rajan experienced this firsthand on Sunday, when he booked an Uber cab from Kalyaninagar to Pune airport. "I was aware thatonlymeter.inhad stopped working. However, the driver insisted that I pay ‘by meter'. When I questioned him, he said the fare would be calculated at Rs25 per km and proceeded to use his phone calculator. When he realised that the app fare was higher, he immediately switched back," Rajan told TOI.The website, launched last year by Indian Gig Workers Front president Keshav Kshirsagar, had drawn criticism for promoting non-standardised fares. While it was said that it was taken down after incidents of violence involving cab drivers, Kshirsagar maintained otherwise. "The website has been suspended for updates and should be back by the end of the week. However, violence against commuters is unacceptable. If such incidents continue, the platform will be shut permanently. The updated version will reflect fares aligned with Regional Transport Authority (RTA) norms," he said.Despite the website going offline, commuters said the situation remains unchanged on the ground, with drivers continuing to quote arbitrary rates — typically between Rs25 and Rs30 per km. A sales representative recounted a recent trip from Wanowrie to Seasons Mall. "The Uber fare showed Rs250, but the driver charged Rs376 using his own calculation. He didn't inform me about ‘meter fare' until the trip ended," he said.Hadapsar resident Vinayak Holkar faced a similar issue. "One driver quoted Rs30 per km, and another Rs25 per km, asking for Rs560 for a trip to Bibwewadi. The same ride was Rs270 on Rapido. I cancelled both and took an autorickshaw instead," he said.Frustration among commuters is also evident online. "How can drivers arbitrarily charge Rs25 per km and call it ‘meter fare' when there is no functional meter? One driver even said the meter wasn't working but the rule still applied," said Ramauj Vartak, who was trying to travel from Pune station to Koregaon Park in a cab. Another cabby allegedly told him that union pressure forces them to charge such rates or risk damage to their vehicles, he revealed.Attempts to reach senior Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials went unanswered. A junior official, however, reiterated that a cab aggregator policy is expected soon. "Once the policy is rolled out, such issues will be brought under control," the official said.