With domestic and international flights picking up, air passengers looking for app-based taxis at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) are increasingly unhappy with the quality of service. Long waits to book a taxi, drivers demanding additional fares and toll fees even though the latter is included in the bill, cancellations, apart from not switching on the air-conditioners despite the heat are just some of the grievances raised.
Recently, a woman passenger narrated her ordeal on social media after she was allegedly harassed by an Ola taxi driver. She claimed the driver had not keyed in the OTP or officially logged in the ride on the app even after they left the airport. Five minutes after leaving KIA, the driver asked for her the location, ₹1,300 as fare, and and extra ₹100 for toll. “I asked him whether he had started the ride and he said he could not start it because of network issues. I kept insisting that he start the ride but he refused. He started negotiating the price with me and kept moving,” she said.
In her post, she said the driver refused to stop despite the fact that she was screaming and shouting for him to do so. “I called the helpline number and he said do not call, I will take you to safety. “I said I would scream for help from the car if he did not stop and that’s when he said he would drop me back to the airport,” the passenger said, addressing her complaint to Ola.
While airport taxi services are available outside KIA, the fares are high, said another regular traveller. “When I book an Uber from my house to the airport, the fare is never more than ₹900 with toll. But when I take the airport taxi service, I end up paying at least ₹1,200. But it takes so long to get an Ola or Uber,” she said.
Regular commuters, too, are frustrated by the cancellations. Saravan, who recently tried to book an Uber taxi from Cantonment Railway Station, said: “I booked three rides on the mobile app. Drivers called back and asked about the drop destination and then cancelled the booking. It took me an hour to get a taxi.”
