BENGALURU: The recent move by the Transport Department to ban shared cab services has drawn a lot of flak from commuters, especially people from the I-T corridors and start-up hubs like Koramangala and HSR Layout. These areas are neither connected through Metro nor do they have enough BMTC buses. Auto drivers on the other hand rarely ever ply according to the meter. In the light of the situation, cab sharing services have been a blessing in disguise for many.
Rashmi Chakravarthy who resides in HSR Layout decided to take up a job at MG Road recently. She travels 14km one way every day at an affordable price, thanks to the cab sharing services.
“Shared services are the only mode of affordable transportation for me as the frequency of BMTC buses is erratic. The government is supposed to help provide facilities to the people, not discard them. Uber and Ola have filled the void created by the public transport system in the city. And now when BMTC feels that they are losing out on the moolah because of the cab sharing services, the Transport Department is hell bent on stopping it,” she says.
Apparently, the Transport Department has written to the central government asking if amendments can be made to fit these services within the ambit of law. H G Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Transport Department says, “We have asked for clarification from the central government and the law department. If they point out that these services cannot be allowed, we will begin strict crackdown on the shared services.”