KOCHI: It seems Kochi’s honeymoon with the online taxi service is over. Three years after its launch in the city, Uber, which revolutionised the travel habit of the citizens with cheap rates and daily offers, gradually hiked its fares. The frequency of daily offers too dropped! Earlier, though the fare for trips during peak time used to be high, Uber charged nominal rates during non-peak hours.
“Uber had been charging around Rs 75 for a trip from Kaloor to Menaka. But now the rate has gone up to Rs 95 to Rs 100. A trip from Companypadi near Aluva to Vyttila which earlier was around Rs 150 to Rs 160, is now between Rs 240 to Rs 260. The reason being cited for the increase is high demand. In a city where autorickshaw drivers meted out a raw deal to the passengers, Uber had been a boon. The increase in fare is surely a setback for the common man,” said Sebin Sebastian who used to be a Uber regular.
“The company with its daily offers and cheap rates in the initial phase made it habitual for Kochiites to hire a taxi. Once they achieved their goal, they increased the fares,” he said.
An increase in the fare, however, did not have any effect on the drivers’ incentives. It remains the same. “Though Uber increased its fares, the incentives for the drivers remain the same,” said an Uber driver. “However, driving an Uber taxi still brings in a decent income,” said a driver from Idukki.
The convenient working hours and the incentives attracted drivers to join Uber. A driver can log in and log out of the service whenever he wants. This has helped many drivers from other districts to ply their vehicles in Kochi.
“At present, the Motor Vehicle Department cannot initiate action against Uber Taxi since there exist no rules to regulate online services. MVD can initiate action only if the fares cited by the online taxi is higher than the one fixed by the government. Many have complained of the high fares charged by the online taxi company, but the department is helpless until a legislation is brought in,” said Ernakulam RTO P H Sadiq Ali.
“As of now, Uber cars have been registered as taxis and they are being driven by licensed drivers,” he said.
According to the RTO, the monopoly of online taxis can be broken only by the autorickshaw drivers. “But they have to change their attitude to achieve this. People will opt for the traditional form of transport if the auto drivers refrain from charging exorbitant fares and are well-mannered,” he said.
The RTO said there has been an increase in the number of applications for badges after Uber launched its service in Kochi. “It is true that Uber provides a means of income for many, especially the youngsters,” Sadiq Ali said.
It was not the traditional taxi service providers who were affected by the entry of online taxis. The auto drivers were the most affected. Their obnoxious attitude and penchant to charge unreasonable sums as far played against them. Even the MVD failed in getting them to implement the meter system!
So instead of cleaning up their act, the auto drivers resorted to violence and began detaining Uber cars. They even bashed up a few drivers. Even Singer Sayanora Philp had to face the wrath of the auto drivers at Ernakulam Junction railway station when she hired a taxi.