July 6, 2018
State Govt brings relief to passengers, asks app cabs to limit surge fares
Listening to the voice of the people, the Trinamool Congress Government has taken a decision to limit the amount by which app cabs can increase their fares during periods of high demand.
Surge fares, as it is called, can only go up to a level of 45 per cent of the base, or minimum, fares. This will apply for all app cab companies. Usually, the fares go up when the demand for cabs is more and the supply is less.
This and other crucial decisions were made after a meeting between the State Transport Minister and representatives of app cab companies on July 4.
The basic fares of the app cab services have to be announced so that the Transport Department is aware of them and people also come to know the base fare that they have to pay to avail the cabs. The app cab operators have to give a report containing details of the fare slabs to the Transport Department.
There will be no surge pricing during office hours on weekdays, hence higher fares cannot be charged for the 12 hours from 8am to 8pm.
Another decision made was that a portion of the surge fare has to be given to drivers. There will also be a review meeting after every three months.
Earlier, the app cab operators had been directed by the Transport Department to take a certain measures to ensure the safety and security of passengers.
Source: Millennium Post
