The editorial, "Fighting the apps" (June 3), makes some good points. But you can't defend surge pricing when it comes to a public utility service.
A key point is that in this digital age, taxi companies do not own a single taxi; a company helps customers locate suitable accommodation anywhere across the world without owning or leasing out any real estate. Regulatory and legislative bodies must deal with this reality and treat such operators or aggregators with a different yardstick. Otherwise, there will be perpetual conflict between the archaic regulatory framework and the modern-day digital world.
A city like Bengaluru can never become a smart city or a global dirty with a regulatory system caught in a time warp. Why should an Ola or an Uber obtain licence from the transport department when it does not own a vehicle? What is needed is a regulatory framework to ensure that these taxies follow traffic rules and have robust mechanisms to ensure the safety of customers.
N Subrahmanyam, Hyderabad
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