Women can now choose to share rides with other women on Rapido, Uber, and Ola cabs; new rules introduced for ride-pooling.
The Maharashtra government has issued new regulations to enhance the safety of women using cab booking services. The new aggregator policy grants female passengers the option to choose to travel alongside other women in the cab; this ensures they are not compelled to share a ride with male passengers, thereby improving safety. Additionally, a new rule has been implemented for ride-pooling, making KYC verification mandatory for passengers. Car-pooling facilities will not be available without KYC completion. Furthermore, car-pooling will only be permitted for passengers sharing the same route, although intermediate stops may differ.
The ride agreement generated via the aggregator’s mobile app during ride-pooling will be considered a virtual contract. Under the new rules, route deviations during ride-pooling are not permitted, except where pickup and drop-off locations have been pre-declared by the passengers; drivers cannot alter the route for any other locations. Instructions have also been issued to passengers requiring them to specify the limits for any detours in advance. The consent of all passengers is mandatory, particularly that of the passenger who booked the ride first.
Penalties for ride cancellation
The new aggregator policy has introduced strict regulations regarding ride cancellations. It has been stipulated that if a driver fails to reach the passenger within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, the ride will be considered cancelled by the driver, and a penalty of ₹100 will be imposed on them. This penalty may increase fivefold for rides cancelled to or from airports, railway stations, and hospitals. Additionally, if a passenger cancels a ride without a valid reason, they will be required to pay a penalty of 5% of the total fare, up to a maximum of ₹100; in such cases, the penalty amount will be paid to the concerned driver. The objective behind imposing such penalties is to minimize the issue of ride cancellations during carpooling.
