BENGALURU: Social media is flooded with complaints of regular users of app-based cab aggregator services. They range from safety concerns to poor response from customer-care officials.
Some commuters say the driver arrive late or pretends that he does not know the way despite being equipped with GPS. Unprofessional conduct, surge pricing and being taken for a ‘ride’ are other common grievances.
Vidya, who regularly commutes from Electronics City to Malleswaram in cabs and autos, said, “There are no direct buses from Bommasandra to Malleswaram. I have to travel to Majestic or KR Market and change. Instead, I rely on autos and cabs for my daily commute.”
Last week, a driver took 20 minutes to arrive at her pick-up location in Electronics City.
“It was at around 7 pm. Later when I reached home driving through peak-hour traffic, the bill came up to double the usual amount, thanks to surge pricing. The taxi app did not notify me of this,” she said.
Sagar, another user, had a hard time getting home.
“I had gone to watch a play at Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar. It was late, and I had booked a cab to go home to Kengeri,” he said.
Though the driver confirmed he was coming, he did not show up for 20 minutes.
“When I called him, he said his vehicle had broken down and he was stuck at a certain place,” he said. But the GPS placed the driver elsewhere.
Nisha, a frequent cab user, had a horrifying experience on a late-night trip from Orion Mall to Cox Town.
“When the cab arrived, another man was sitting beside the driver,” she said. “Though the driver said it was his friend, I was scared.”
The driver then took a 11-km detour to Hebbal to drop this friend.
“I was asked to pay for this, and the bill came to twice the usual amount,” she said. “After I complained, the customer care official said they would reimburse the money.”
Several weeks later, her account doesn’t reflect a refund. “I was also told that the driver was suspended,” she said.
Another commuter Samara had booked a cab. The driver came to the pick-up point and called to tell her.
“I told him to wait for five minutes, and he agreed,” she said. “But he started the trip and drove off. I received a message with the bill.”