NEW DELHI: Cabin aggregators like Uber and Ola may not charge more than 1.5 times the base rate as an increase price during peak demand and less than 50% of the base rate during the non-peak period, according to a set of guidelines issued by the ministry of road transport to regulate transportation services.
Even commercial carpooling platforms must comply with the regulations and must obtain a license to operate. The regulations will be applicable only when the states notify them. The amended Motor Vehicle Act has defined vehicle “aggregators” as a digital intermediary or marketplace for a passenger to connect with a driver for transportation purposes.
The guidelines sent to states also allow them to allow the connection of personal passenger vehicles to aggregators, on the condition that such vehicles can carry passengers twice a day within a city (within the city) and only twice a week. between cities (intercity). He said that if any state government prohibits such attachment of private vehicles, it would have to specify the reason “in writing” and it should be posted on the state department of transportation website.
The “Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines-2020”, which will serve as a template for states to formulate their policies, also defined the base chargeable rate as “WPI-indexed city taxi rate for the current year.” In states where the city taxi fare has not been determined, Rs 25-Rs 30 will be treated as the basic minimum fare. For other vehicles, such as buses and two-wheelers, there will be no such base rate.
The minimum base rate to be charged to customers using aggregation services would be for a minimum of 3 km, said the guidelines, which have been issued under the amended provisions of the Central Motor Vehicle Law. It has also specified rules for shared rides with the provision that aggregators must provide an option in the taxi calling app for female passengers to book such rides only with other female passengers.
According to the guidelines, passenger vehicle aggregators will charge a fee of 20% of the fare charged and the remaining 80% will be paid to drivers. He also said that the cancellation fee of 10% of the total fare, not to exceed 100 rupees, would be for both passengers and drivers when they cancel the trip without any valid reason. State governments may also report charging 2% above the state treasury rate for services and programs related to vehicles operated by aggregators.
According to the template, the aggregator must have a 24×7 helpline to maintain uninterrupted contact with the control room. In addition, the aggregator should guarantee periodic spot checks of the vehicles integrated in it.
Violation of the licensing rules will result in a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh and cancellation of the license. The guidelines prescribe Rs 5 lakh as a license fee for five years. The aggregator would have to ensure compliance by drivers, which includes proof of valid identity, driver’s license, minimum two-year driving experience, and police verification. Nor should the driver of a vehicle have been convicted in the past three years for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The aggregator would have to carry out a mandatory recovery training program for drivers who score less than 2 percentiles among all drivers.
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