Page 2 - Taxi

Delhi govt develops portal for licensing cab aggregators, e-commerce cos

The Delhi government has developed a portal to facilitate licensing, payment of fees and regulate cab aggregators, delivery service providers and e-commerce entities. The Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme - 2023 was notified by the government last year. Service providers and e-commerce entities with more than 25 vehicles in their fleet will have to register on the portal to obtain a licence. "All licence holders are requested to register their existing fleets operating in the NCT of Delhi. All existing aggregator and delivery service providers operating within the NCT of Delhi shall obtain a licence within a period of 90 days," according to a public notice issued by the Transport department. The notice was uploaded on the department's website on Friday. The department's dashboard to monitor the progress of the scheme can be accessed at myfleet.delhi.gov.in. The licences will be valid for five years. The scheme mandates service providers to ensur

Over 40% cab drivers, delivery persons face violence at work: Survey

Nearly 47 per cent cab drivers and 41.5 per cent delivery persons face some form of violence at work with a majority of the latter demanding to discontinue the 10 minutes delivery policy, a survey report has revealed. Several companies offer discount and provide the order for free if the delivery is not made within 10 minutes of placing the order. In an incident in October last year, a pizza delivery man in Pune, Maharashtra, was assaulted and threatened by firing in the air by an angry customer due to late arrival of the pizza at his doorstep. According to the survey by a Delhi-based NGO, PAIGAM, 41.5 per cent of the respondents reported that they have faced violence at work. The survey studied responses from a sample size of 10,000 gig and app-based drivers, and delivery workers between April 2022 to 2023 across eight states, including Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Indore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The survey highlights the challenges faced by app-based drivers and gig

Uber unveils $7 bn stock buyback plan first for company, shares up 4.6%

The stock jumped about 4.6% in premarket trading in New York. It has more than doubled over the past 12 months

Lyft guarantees weekly earnings in a bid to lure more drivers

Last year about 15% of Lyft drivers across United States earned less than 70% of what riders paid, after external fees, but Lyft assured to pay difference if drivers made below 70% at end of week

Uber, Ola will have to fall in line as Karnataka govt fixes fare for taxis

City taxis and those operating through app-based aggregators like Uber and Ola will now have to follow the new fare structure announced by the Karnataka Transport Department. With this new order released by the department on Saturday, fares for app-based cab aggregators as well as city taxis would be uniform and the revised fares would be applicable across the state with immediate effect. Prior to this, the fares were different for the two categories of taxis. According to the new fare structure, cabs have been categorised into three classes based on the cost of the vehicle. For vehicles whose purchase cost is Rs 10 lakh or below, the minimum fare has been fixed at Rs 100 for up to four km with a charge of Rs 24 for every additional km. For those costing between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, the minimum fare is Rs 115, and per km cost Rs 28. For those costing above 15 lakh, minimum fare is set at Rs 130 with Rs 32 charged for each additional kilometre. The order clearly states that no

Ride-hailing company Uber launches operations in Jammu and Kashmir

Ride-hailing firm Uber on Tuesday said it has started operations in Jammu and Kashmir with the launch of services in Srinagar. Uber will offer Uber Go and outstation cab service Uber Intercity in the Valley. "Uber's launch in Srinagar is in line with its expansion plans in India, with an aim to increase its footprint and product offerings to regional markets. Residents of Srinagar and visiting tourists can now book Uber Go and Uber Intercity rides for their mobility needs," Uber said in a statement. Intercity rides can be booked to tourist destinations around Srinagar, including Gulmarg, Sonmarg, and Pahalgam, the company said. "With the global ride-hailing app now available in Srinagar, tourists as well as locals will now find a trusted ride in and around Srinagar with a few taps on the app. The launch of our service will also create meaningful earning opportunities for drivers and will support the economic growth of local communities," Head of Supply and Regional Operations at Ub

AIIMS Delhi takes measures on taxis overcharging patients for short trips

The AIIMS Delhi administration has announced a comprehensive plan to regulate the entry of commercial passenger vehicles into the hospital campus over reports that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers are exploiting unsuspecting patients and their attendants. The initiative aims to ensure fair and transparent transportation services for patients arriving at the medical facility, said Dr Rima Dada, the professor in-charge of AIIMS Media cell. During routine interactions with patients, it came to light that some auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers have been overcharging patients for short trips within the AIIMS campus, Dr Dada said. To address this issue and streamline the entry of commercial passenger vehicles (CPVs), several steps will be implemented as part of which prominent bilingual signages will be installed inside and outside all entry gates of AIIMS, providing information about the availability, routes, and frequencies of electric shuttles. This will help patients make informed decisio

Mumbai's iconic Premier Padmini taxis to bow out after six decades

For decades, if one had to conjure up a picture of Mumbai, the imagery would be incomplete without the city's Premier Padmini' taxis. For, the public carriers, fondly called kaali-peeli', were more than just a mode of transport. They were attached to every aspect of the city. Giving way to newer models and app-based cab services, these black-and-yellow taxis will now bow out from Mumbai's streets, following the path of retirement recently taken by the BEST's legendary red double-decker diesel buses. A transport department official said the last Premier Padmini was registered as a black-and-yellow taxi at the Tardeo RTO, which has jurisdiction over the island city of Mumbai, on October 29, 2003. As the age limit for cabs in the city is 20 years, Mumbai officially won't have a Premier Padmini taxi from Monday onwards. Yeh Mumbai ki shaan hai aur hamari jaan hai (it is the pride of Mumbai and life of mine), said Prabhadevi resident Abdul Kareem Karsekar, who owns the last registered ..

Snap-E Cabs increases electric vehicle fleet size to 600 cars in Kolkata

App-based on-demand electric cab services provider Snap-E Cabs on Tuesday said it has expanded its fleet size to 600 cars in Kolkata, aided by significant collaborations with multiple players. The company has formed alliances with Mufin Green Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra Finance, ICICI and HDFC that are in line with the platform's expansion plans for this fiscal, the company said in a statement. Snap-E-Cabs, which is currently present in Kolkata, is also aiming at entry into newer markets like Bhubaneswar and Raipur while doubling the fleet count as well, it said. "These partnerships align with our vision to provide environmentally conscious transportation options to our customers while expanding our reach and enhancing our service offerings, said Mayank Bindal, Founder and CEO of Snap-E-Cabs. The company said its partnership with Mufin entails a fleet of 100 Tata Tigor cars on lease for five years. These vehicles will be utilized as cabs in Kolkata, effectively increasing its ...

Bengal allows luxury taxis to be painted in colours other than white, cream

Luxury taxis in West Bengal will be allowed to be painted in any colour other than white or cream for a fee of Rs 20,000 for each vehicle, a notification issued by the state transport department said. The authorities will grant permission for motor cabs (luxury taxis), rendering limousine service, to be painted in any colour other than white or cream, for which an amount of Rs 20,000 will be charged as an application fee from the interested service provider for each vehicle, said the notification, issued by Transport Department secretary Saumitra Mohan on September 19. Necessary amendments in the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, shall be made in due course, it said. According to the notification, the department has been receiving proposals for granting permission for all Bengal luxury taxi permits for vehicles to be painted in any colour other than white or cream. "As per Rule 270(2) of West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the state transport department may, by order, all

SnapE cabs looking to double its fleet in FY'24, expand to smaller cities

Ride-hailing app SnapE, which operates EV cabs, is planning to more than double its current fleet by the end of FY'24, and venture into smaller cities, a company official said on Tuesday. The company also plans to induct more women drivers in its workforce, said Mayank Bindal, the managing director of EC Wheels, which operates under the SnapE brand. "Besides expanding in the greater Kolkata region, which is our base, we plan to venture into smaller cities such as Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Varanasi, Raipur, Indore, Bhopal, Jaipur and Ahmedabad over the next few years because of the potential of the untapped market," he told PTI in an interview. "We also want to provide affordable green vehicles to tourists, and are targeting the Varanasi-Ayodhya-Chitrakoot and Puri-Bhubaneswar-Konark-Chilika circuits initially," he said. The company plans to increase its fleet strength from 400 at present to 1,000 by the end of this financial year, Bindal said. "We intend to hire more women as drivers

2 rival robotaxi services gets approval to operate in US' San Francisco

California regulators on Thursday approved an expansion that will allow two rival robotaxi services to operate throughout San Francisco at all hours, despite safety worries spurred by recurring problems with unexpected stops and other erratic behaviour that resulted in unmanned vehicles blocking traffic, including emergency vehicles. The state's Public Utilities Commission voted to approve rival services from Cruise and Waymo to operate around-the-clock service. It will make San Francisco first major US city with two fleets of driverless vehicles competing for passengers against ride-hailing and taxi services dependent on humans to operate the cars. It is a distinction that San Francisco officials didn't want, largely because of the headaches that Cruise and Waymo have been causing in the city while testing their robotaxis on a restricted basis during the past year. But it ended in a major victory for Cruise a subsidiary of General Motors and Waymo a spinoff from a secret project

Delhi extends permit validity of taxis running on CNG, other clean fuels

All taxis running on CNG, other clean fuels to have permit validity of 15 years

40 bike taxi drivers approach Delhi minister seeking relief from ban

A group of 40 bike taxi drivers have sought Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot's intervention against any enforcement or action by the city government against them. The Delhi government launched a crackdown against bike taxis in February. In a memorandum submitted to Gahlot's office, the group said the Delhi government is adamant about banning their services. "We will face difficulties in meeting household expenses, getting our children educated and getting our parents treated," read the memorandum. The memorandum also said that while the delivery services continued unabated, the bike taxi drivers were being "targeted". The Supreme Court had on Monday stayed a Delhi High Court order that essentially allowed Rapido and Uber to operate in the national capital by asking the Delhi government not to take any coercive action against them till a new policy was formulated. A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal at the Supreme Court granted liberty to the two .

Everest Fleet raises $20 mn led by Uber, to expand operations, supply pool

Fleet management company Everest Fleet on Wednesday said it has closed a $20 million funding round led by Uber

Authorities to impound bike taxis if Uber, Ola do not comply with Delhi ban

India's top court on Monday backed the city government's ban on bike taxis in a setback for U.S. ride-hailing company Uber which had legally challenged authorities to continue offering the services

General Motors' Cruise recalls 300 robotaxis after crash involving bus

General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has recalled 300 robotaxis to update software after one of them rear-ended a municipal bus in San Francisco. Cruise says in government documents posted Friday that the robotaxi inaccurately predicted how the bus would move as it pulled out of a bus stop on March 23. The articulated two-section bus slowed as it was leaving the stop and was hit by the self-driving vehicle. Cruise characterised the crash as a fender-bender and said no one was hurt. The company says in documents sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it did the software update on March 25. Cruise determined that the collision was caused by an issue related to prediction of the unique movements of articulated vehicles in rare circumstances, the company said in documents. The company said no other crashes have happened due to the problem and that the same thing won't happen again after the update. Cruise said it did the recall to be transparent and

'What ban?' Uber, Ola bike riders clueless about Delhi govt order

Bike taxi services available as usual a day after transport department's clampdown

Goa govt set with taxi service for passengers at new airport from Jan 5

Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Sunday said enough taxis and other conveyance will be made available for passengers arriving at Manohar International Airport (MIA) in Mopa, where flight operations will begin on January 5. Talking to PTI, the minister said the issue of taxi operators will be solved by January 5 and there will be enough vehicles available for passengers. The state government has already started the process to allot spots for taxi operators at the new airport and preference is being given to those from Pernem taluka, where the airport is located. The state government also plans to operate buses of state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited from the airport for people who don't want to take taxis, Khaunte said. He further said that the government has advertised and started getting taxi operators on board. A queue system in line with the ones followed at other airports will be introduced at MIA, he said. The state has also developed a dedicated Goa Taxi App

Mumbai taxi and auto drivers to go on an indefinite strike from Sep 15

Over 200,000 autorickshaw drivers and 48,000 taxi drivers are expected to join the indefinite strike