On-demand cab service providers Ola and Uber, has been ordered to told to withdraw car pooling feature from their mobile applications in Bengaluru. The decision was imposed during the closed-door meeting by Karnataka Transport Department on Friday with an immediate effect.
Albeit, the directive has been given a thumps up by driver, the move is likely to disappoint passengers who uses the service on a regular basis.
“Action will be taken against Ola and Uber if they continue to feature car pooling option. It’s not permissible under the present Act. We will write to the government to take a decision on car pooling services. Till then, such services will be illegal,” VP Ikkeri, Transport Commissioner said.
Ola was founded in December 2010 as an online cab services in Mumbai. It is an online transportation network company developed by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
While, Uber is an American multinational transportation network company which is based-out of San Francisco.
It offers services that include peer-to-peer ridesharing, ride service hailing, food delivery, and a bicycle-sharing system.
Tanveer Pasha, president of Ola, Uber and TaxiforSure drivers and Owners Association said that the car pooling services were not only against the law, but it was also against the drivers.
“Car pooling option is widely used. But the money earned is not even enough to meet the expenses incurred by cab drivers. Picking several passengers from different places is of no use for cab drivers as it’s not worth the effort,” he further added.