How are auto drivers’ new apps faring?

In October, two unions promised to put an end to unreasonable fare spikes on Uber, Ola and Rapido. They are trying, but have a long way to go

Two new ride-hailing apps launched by auto drivers over the past month are going through a rough patch.

When citizens were complaining about high fares on Uber, Ola and Rapido last month, the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU) launched Namma Yatri, and Peace Auto Union launched Rook. The ride-hailing apps onboarded about 10,000 drivers each, according to union officials and data on the app.

Basavaraju, a 62-year-old auto driver hailing from Mandya, travels to Bengaluru and plies his vehicle between 7 am and 8 pm. He says he hasn’t had any luck with the new apps.

“The regular apps were collecting huge commissions from us, and I thought the unions’ apps would be the solution to our problems. However, I haven’t been able to upload my documents. I have been trying for a week, but am running into technical difficulties,” he says.

That could be because the apps are yet to put in place robust back-end teams.

Customers also complain of technical problems. “On Saturday, I booked an auto on Namma Yatri and was waiting for 15 minutes, only to find that the driver had reached a different location. He told me the app showed him a completely different location,” says Amulya (name changed).

D Rudramurthy, general secretary of ARDU, says, “The technical team is small right now, and Namma Yatri has had some glitches. We have fixed some of them just now, and things should get better.”

Shashank P, 24, says the fares on the apps are often higher than on older apps. (See box: When Metrolife checked, it found Rook showing a much higher fare than the others.)

“When I took an auto on Namma Yatri, after reaching the destination, the driver asked for an extra Rs 20 as he had the right to charge a ‘courtesy fee’. After an argument, I paid him,” he says.

Namma Yatri charges an additional Rs 10 as convenience fee. However, the driver can ask for up to ₹Rs 30 over and above the trip fare as a ‘courtesy fee’. This has triggered some arguments.

“Drivers can request the fee on the app, and if you accept it, that is your total fare. You don’t need to pay anything extra. However, there has been some confusion about this and our union is addressing it,” says Rudramurthy.

On Rook, Shashank had to deal with the problem of constant cancellation by drivers. Unless the new apps address these concerns, citizens may give up on them, he says. Rook did not respond to Metrolife’s calls.

‘Govt must step in’

Fourteen thousand members of the Adarsha Auto Union have decided to stay away from the newly launched apps Namma Yatri and Rook.

“Every association is launching an app. Too many apps not only cause problems for the drivers but also for citizens,” says C Sampath, general secretary, Adarsha Auto Union.

He hopes the government will notice the problems and launch a government-backed app. “That is the only solution. That way the rules are clear, and drivers and commuters won’t get cheated,” he says.

M Prabhu, a Banashankari-based auto driver, has five apps on his phone now.

“They are a bother to manage, and I wish I could delete all of them. But it is impossible for auto drivers these days to work without aggregator apps,” he says.

‘Can’t find autos for short distances’

The government-notified rates for autos are Rs 30 for the first 2 km and Rs 15 for every km thereafter. The High Court has allowed ride aggregators to levy an extra 10% till a new tariff structure is framed.

Many, like journalism student Rishita Khanna, say they can’t find autos for short rides. “Vidhana Soudha and Cubbon Park are the nearest metro stations from my college, within 2 km. But app-based autos have stopped accepting our requests. Earlier, they would overcharge but at least come instantly.”

Software engineer and Bellandur resident Aakash Singhal concurs: “We prefer autos over cabs because they come cheaper. But neither my wife nor I can find autos for 4-5 km rides. We are forced to book a cab and pay more instead.”

Despite the fixed rate, apps show different fares. Rishita recalls, “I was looking for an auto to Mathikere, about 8 km from my house. Ola showed Rs 180 when it should be Rs 120 by calculation.”

Architecture student Yamini K had a similar experience last week while booking an auto for 2 km from 13th Cross Malleswaram to the Srirampura metro station.

“It should cost Rs 35 but Ola showed Rs 60. I booked it because I was in a hurry. When the auto driver was closer to my location, he cancelled the booking and called me, demanding Rs 150 if I wanted to continue with him,” she recalls.

Autos cancelling the ride forced Nidhi Mehta to buy a scooter for her college-going daughter last week.

“We were forced to make this purchase of Rs 68,000,” the home entrepreneur from Begur says.

Aravind (name changed), who drives an electric auto, is on two of these apps. He says shorter rides are not profitable. “If the pick-up point for a 2 km ride is 1.5 km away, how will Rs 35 suffice? I accept rides when I am close to pick-up locations,” he says.

Reality check

12.30 pm on Monday, a request for a 3 km auto ride from MG Road to Langford Town showed these fares:

Ola: Rs 63

Uber: Rs 53

Namma Yatri: Rs 66

Rook: Rs 94 to Rs 106

Rapido: Rs 67