Ride-hailing woes: Cancellations, surcharges top consumer grievances in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Cancellation of rides, drivers speaking on the phone, peak time surcharges, and lack of cleanliness are major issues faced by consumers using ride-hailing apps in Bengaluru, according to a survey by LocalCircles, a community social media platform.

The survey, which gathered responses from approximately 3,500 frequent users of apps such as Ola and Uber in Bengaluru, indicated that none of the ride-hailing services provided complete satisfaction, suggesting that newcomers like Namma Yatri and Rapido could seize the opportunity to lead the market.

It revealed that about 85 per cent of Uber customers and 93 per cent of Ola customers encountered one or more issues over the past 12 months, raising concerns among commuters.

Many commuters told DH they were open to switching to new apps that offer better services. “During peak hours, charges are pretty high, and even if we agree to pay, drivers often decline or cancel after asking for the drop location,” said Sushma K, a techie. “If new apps can address these issues, many of us would gladly switch.”

In addition to cancellations and surcharges, about 69% of commuters expressed safety concerns due to drivers using their phones while driving. This, they said, was one of the major issues since safety was of the utmost priority. “Sometimes, a few drivers do not even respond to our requests since they are busy on the phone. Even when we request them to be cautious while driving or drive slower, they do not oblige.

This is concerning and I have raised this issue with both Ola and Uber but I do not know if they convey it to the driver,” said Vandana G, a resident of KR Puram.