PUNE: Cab aggregator Uber on Friday announced a 15% fare hike in Pune “to cushion drivers from the impact of spike in fuel prices”.
“We listen to feedback from drivers and understand that the current rise in fuel prices is causing concern. To help cushion drivers from the impact of spike in fuel prices, Uber is raising trip fares in Pune by 15%. Over the coming weeks, we will continue to track fuel price movements and take further steps as needed,” Nitish Bhushan, head, central operations, Uber India and South Asia, said in a statement.
“The rising cost of fuel is causing problems and we have had extensive discussions with our driver partners on the issue. There have been cases when drivers have refused to turn on the air conditioning of the car and asked for extra money from customers, if the AC has to be turned on. The fare hike is to help the drivers,” a source in Uber added.
Around 10,000 to 12,000 cabs run under the platforms Ola and Uber in Pune.
The price of fuel has increased nine times in the past 10 days in Pune. While there was no increase on Friday, the price of a litre of diesel in Pune stood at Rs98.94, just over a rupee short of Rs100. The price of petrol presently stands at Rs116.20 in the city.
While drivers said that the hike in fuel prices was affecting them, passengers said they faced many cancelled trips and demand of return fare. “The diesel prices are so high that at times we have no choice but to cancel short trips. While I have never switched off the AC of the car when there are passengers, I have requested them if they are comfortable travelling with the windows open,” a driver said.
Guru Katti, president, Swarajya Vahan Chalak Sanghatna, a union of cabbies, said that the fare hike of around 30% to 40% was expected from next week. “We cannot do business if the fares of private cabs are not hiked,” he said.
