Commuters flag lack of transparency in auto, cab fares on aggregator apps 

Following the recent revision in autorickshaw fares set to take effect from the coming month, several Bengaluru commuters have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in fare breakup on popular aggregator apps such as Uber, Ola, and Rapido. Users complain that these apps fail to show detailed fare components either before or after the ride, leaving them unsure about what exactly they are being charged for.

The Bengaluru Urban district administration announced a fare hike on July 14, revising the base fare for autos from ₹30 to ₹36 for the first 2 km, and the per-km charge from ₹15 to ₹18 thereafter. The revised fares will come into effect from August 1.

However, commuters argue that aggregator apps already charge significantly higher than the meter fare, often due to vague policies like ‘tips’, ‘congestion fee’, ‘platform fees’, ‘driver addition’, etc. Now, with the new fares looming, the lack of a clear fare breakup has only added to their frustration.

“I booked an auto for a short ride recently and was charged ₹97. I had no idea how that fare was calculated. There was no breakup shown, just a final amount. If we are being asked to pay more, at least we should know what we are paying for,” said Sushmitha Rao, a resident of Jayanagar.

“I don’t know what exactly these apps are charging for, and it is unethical not to give a fare breakup. The fare often feels arbitrary, and there’s no way to check if it’s fair,” said Rajeev Kumar, a daily commuter from Koramangala.

The Hindu reached out to multiple aggregators for a response, but at the time of publication, none of the platforms had responded.

The Hindu Impact: Namma Yatri rolls back revised auto fares after criticism

Auto aggregator platform Namma Yatri has rolled back its revised autorickshaw fares following a report published by The Hindu, titled “Aggregator begins charging revised auto fares before they come into effect, draws criticism from commuters”, dated July 17 . The platform had begun charging the new fares a fortnight ahead of the official implementation date set by the government

Namma Yatri had earlier clarified that the revised fare display was not a full rollout, but part of a limited pilot to test system readiness and gather driver-citizen feedback ahead of the official implementation. “Namma Yatri has always been, and continues to be, a community-driven platform. Our ethos is simple: commuters should pay less, and drivers should earn more. ,” said a Namma Yatri spokesperson.