KOCHI: The major online cab operators of Kochi — Ola and Uber — have increased their trip fares. The drivers claim that the rise in price hasn’t helped them much. However, with the increased rate and non-availability of cabs, the passengers are finding commute expensive and cumbersome
As the fuel prices have breached the Rs 100-mark in several cities the major online cab operators of Kochi, Uber and Ola, have also raised their trip fares. While Ola has increased the fare by about 12 per cent, according to drivers, Uber has hiked it by 15 per cent. And no one seems to be pleased about it — be it the passengers or the cab drivers. Uber India and South Asia head of operations Nitish Bhushan says the company hiked fare charges based on “feedback from drivers” and to “help cushion them from the impact of the fuel price spike”.
However, the drivers say little relief percolates to them, pointing to the commission that the aggregator charges from the drivers for each trip, and diesel price hovering over `103 a litre. It’s a struggle to make ends meet, they say.
“Uber recently increased commission from 25 per cent to 33 per cent. Ola takes a commission of 30 per cent,” says cab driver Santosh (name changed), who drives for Uber and Ola. “In a day, if we get to earn `2,000, about `700 goes as commission. To earn that much we would have to drive for 200 km, and the fuel cost would then be over `1,000. Sometimes, the final amount we get in hand would be so meagre that it would feel as we are doing free service.”
In the case of Uber, the drivers claim the increase in tariff has not made their lives any better. “The hike may seem impressive from the outside but, in reality, Uber had spiked fares kept low during the pandemic outbreak. So, for us, the revised fare is similar to the cost that was prevalent when diesel’s price was `75. Also, even when the fare was at its lowest during the pandemic, Uber raised commission charges to about 45 per cent,” adds 29-year-old Santosh.
Drivers with Ola, however, seem to be slightly better off. “For instance, if I get `2,500 in a day, I would be left with Rs 1,500 in hand after all fuel and commission costs. In case of Uber, the in-hand amount would be only around Rs 1,000,” says Anand (name changed).
The situation, drivers say, is so grave that many of them are on the edge, courtesy the burgeoning burden of loans. “I took a loan for `6 lakh. Due to pending EMI and penalties, I will end up repaying `12 lakh. Despite the meagre income, we continue in this field as we think of our families,” says Santosh. Most of the drivers who had entered the field during initial cab boom have quit, he notes.“Till 2019, both the companies provided incentives. Though we gave a commission of 30 per cent, a portion of that came back to us as incentives. For example, if we do 120 trips for Uber in a week, we would get at least `4,000. Ola, too, used to pay on a daily basis. But that’s stopped now, “ says Santosh. Sooraj was one such cab driver who quit the field after striving for five years. “I had to surrender my vehicle, as I wasn’t earning much return. Now I work at a watch store,” he says.
Passengers feel the pinch
“The services can’t be a daily mode of travel as it is out of budget,” says Preethi Kumar. “From Eroor to Kaloor, for instance, I used to pay between D150-180. Now the rate has shot up to at least `310,” says Preethi Kumar. Unavailability of cabs is another grouse. “More than price hike, what’s worse is the long wait for cabs,” says Malavika. “Also, sometimes rides get cancelled within minutes after booking. Even if it does get connected, these days we have to wait for at least 20 minutes. This is an issue, especially at night, as women like me depend more on online taxi services as they are considered safer.”Anand admits that many drivers cancel trips. “We do so especially when we have to travel long distances to pick up guests who have booked short trips,” he says.
ONLINE AUTO SERVICE
According to drivers, though Uber auto services are rampant many have left their jobs. “We get more commuters when we are at a respective auto stand. For online service, it is not necessary that we get a commuter on our return trip hence the auto comes back empty, further bringing loss to the driver,” says Ragesh.