Pune’s cab and autorickshaw unions have threatened an agitation over alleged overcharging by app-based aggregators and Rapido’s continued bike-taxi operations without Regional Transport Office permission, putting fares and regulatory enforcement on the agenda of the city’s Regional Transport Authority.
Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Indian Gig Workers Front and the Baghtoy Rickshawala union, alleged that Ola, Uber and Rapido were continuing to charge fares at their discretion despite the state government’s cab aggregator policy coming into effect in September. He also alleged that Rapido was offering bike-taxi services through its app without the required approval.
The allegations place the dispute at the intersection of fare regulation and enforcement of transport permissions. The report does not specify the fares being charged by the platforms, the provisions of the state policy allegedly being breached, or the precise approval status of Rapido’s bike-taxi operations.
Kshirsagar said the unions had raised the issue with the Pune collector, who also heads the Regional Transport Authority. The RTA is scheduled to hold a meeting on October 14 to discuss cab fares and bike-taxi operations with RTO officials.
The meeting will bring together the fare question and the regulatory status of app-based two- and four-wheeler services. For commuters, the outcome could affect how fares are reviewed and how bike-taxi services are treated by transport authorities. For drivers and unions, the dispute concerns the operating framework under which aggregators and their partner vehicles provide services in the city.
Kshirsagar said the unions expected strict action from the authorities. He warned that failure to act could lead to an “intense protest” capable of disrupting public transport in Pune. No response from Ola, Uber, Rapido, the Pune collector’s office or the RTO was included in the report.
The October 14 RTA meeting is the next official milestone in the dispute. It is expected to address cab fares and bike-taxi operations with RTO officials, while the unions’ proposed agitation remains contingent on the action taken by the authorities.
