After Uber, Ola objects to revised taxi scheme

We have a few suggestions and objections to the revised draft rules. Although the scheme overall looks optimistic, we will be sharing our views on it with the government soon.

:The revised draft rules introduced by the Maharashtra government for regulating appbased taxis in the state and controlling surge pricing has failed to impress the app-based taxi aggregators.

Following the footsteps of the Us-based taxi aggregator Uber, another major taxi aggregator Ola has indicated that it would submit its suggestions and objections to the revised draft policy. It, however, refused to share more details.

“We have a few suggestion and objections to the revised draft rules. Although the scheme overall looks optimistic, we will be sharing our views on it with the government soon,” said the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of Ola Pranay Jivrajka.

On October 15, the state government published revised Maharashtra City Taxi Rules 2016 for regulating app-based taxis of aggregators and controlling surge pricing in which the fares shoot up if the demand increases.

Highlighting that the new draft rules are better than the earlier, Jivrajka said their com pany would follow the rules when they are implemented. He however, said that their com pany would speak to the govern ment on the matter of using clean fuel.

Interestingly, earlier when the government had brought out the first draft of the city taxi scheme in 2015, Ola had not filed any suggestions or objec tions.

In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last week Uber has already raised con cerns about three points— restrictions on engine capacity steep price tags for permits and restriction on pricing — in the revised scheme.

Uber said that the cap on pric ing would make the service unreliable due to increased waiting time.