RAIPUR: In a consumer-centric move that suggests significant relief to millions of daily cab and auto commuters, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued strict directives to all ride-hailing aggregators to eliminate pre-ride tipping features from their applications.
The official advisory referenced Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, ordering platforms to remove manipulative prompts such as "Advance Tip," "Choose an Add-on," or messages claiming "A driver may be more likely to accept this trip if you add a tip.”
Aggregator apps are strictly prohibited from showing tipping prompts prior to ride acceptance, before commencement, or during the journey. The tipping feature can only appear after the trip is successfully completed.
MoRTH highlighted that interface elements suggesting tipping leads to faster ride confirmation, reduced wait times, quicker driver allocation, or better service quality violate the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The entire tip amount provided voluntarily by a passenger must be credited directly to the driver, with zero commission or platform fees deducted by the aggregator.
All motor vehicle aggregators operating under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, have been instructed to immediately review and update their digital platforms to remove any non-compliant user interface features.
The government's crackdown puts an end to the practice where commuters felt pressured to pay extra fees upfront just to secure a cab or auto-rickshaw ride.