Good news for Mumbai’s Ola, Uber travellers, state report capping surge pricing to submitted soon

Mumbai city news: The state government-appointed Khatua committee is likely to submit its report on fare structure of app-based taxis among other things by the end of the month.

Transport authorities may put restrictions on surge pricing – rise in fares during peak hours – of app-based taxis like Ola and Uber soon.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region has over 1 lakh app-based taxis.(Representational pic)

Reason: the state government-appointed Khatua committee is likely to submit its report on fare structure of app-based taxis among other things by the end of the month.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region has over 1 lakh app-based taxis. Comfortable AC taxis, ease of booking, polite drivers and easy payment options make them the preferred choice of city commuters.

The Maharashtra government appointed a panel under retired IAS officer BC Khatua to review taxi and autorickshaw fares derived by Hakim Panel in 2012.

The committee was asked to fix the upper and lower limit for fare of app-based taxis of aggregators and electric taxis, after the government brought in the new Maharashtra City Taxi Rules 2017.

Transport department sources said the Khatua panel is currently in the process of finalising the draft of the report to submit it to the government.

After receiving the Khatua panel report, the government is expected to take a decision on it within a month or two, according to sources.

“The panel has already compiled the feedback received from the passengers, taxi and auto rickshaw drivers and their unions through online and offline surveys conducted in May and June,” said a source.

Before that the panel had a discussion on various surrounding taxis and autos with government officials, taxi and autorickshaw unions and commuter groups at Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Ratnagiri, besides Mumbai.

Unions of auto and taxi drivers and consumer groups are pressuring the government for taking the speedy decision on this issue. The issue is also sub-judice as some drivers have challenged the city taxi rules in the high court.