Daylight robbery in online taxi services, 'digitalised bargain,' calls netizens

BENGALURU: Online taxis provide a cheap way for any common man to travel, but what if someone has to pay more for online taxi services also? There is a huge outcry on social media against the trend of demanding extra money in auto-bike taxi services, which have gone digital. A new feature introduced by the leading bike taxi service, Rapido, has drawn severe criticism from users.

The criticism began with a post shared on Reddit by a user from Bengaluru. The Reddit user shared a screenshot of the Rapido app showing options to pay more, such as ‘+Rs 35, +Rs 45, +Rs 55, and +Rs 65’, along with the message “Captains aren’t accepting at Rs 200. Try adding more”. The man shared the post with the caption, "This has got to be the worst feature any app has ever introduced." Many people also shared their own experiences.

“I have been meaning to write about this. It’s outright fraudulent. They purposely jack up the prices and also ask you to pay extra, highlighting no one is accepting. So pay extra. It’s daylight scam!”, one user lashed out. “Digitalised bargain”, another wrote. Many users said they had stopped relying on travel apps altogether. 'I have deleted all of these apps. Now, I use public transportation or my scooter if public transportation is not available,' one person said. '“The irony. These apps worked because it eliminated the hassle of bargaining," one user pointed out. “The minute you add a tip, an auto appears. Magic. Till then, they don’t care," someone else added.