Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A month after Pune Airport’s Aeromall launched a new PIN-generated system for app-based cab booking, passengers said they still have to wait for taxis and are compelled to pay more because of the unavailability of vehicles.
The system, a joint venture between Aeromall, the Airport Authority of India (AAI), and Uber, was launched to help passengers book cabs seamlessly. Through the system, passengers can generate a four-digit PIN and avail of the first available cab on a first-come-first-served basis.
P S Pathak, a passenger in his 60s, said when he reached the pickup zone and booked a cab, he was “ghosted” by the driver without any explanation. “After multiple failed attempts, I reached out to the Uber assistance counter but was told by its staff to upgrade to a more expensive premier cab… He took my phone and generated the PIN. Initially, the cab arrival time was displayed as one minute but later it reached 15 minutes,” said Pathak.
Another passenger posted about the unavailability of UberGo cabs, which cost less than the Uber Premier, on X. “@Uber_India premier cabs are available easily at Pune airport. But Go cabs are not available. Also, the employees at the Uber counter keep pushing to book premier cabs from their own accounts…They keep telling you that The cheaper Go cabs won’t be booked easily. Something here does not feel right. Can you explain the situation??” asked the passenger.
Reacting to passengers’ complaints, Y S Rajput, Vice President, Aeromall, said this is an alternate option and they don’t have to compulsorily take it up. Rajput said the initiative is for the benefit of both passengers and drivers as it gives them an additional option. “There is no shortage of UberGo cabs. Various factors are in play here such as the booking system working in such a way that the offer first goes to the driver with good points which often goes in favour of Uber Premier and Uber XL drivers. Additionally, the UberGo drivers are less generous to the passengers and unwilling to go to the nearby or under construction destinations,” he said. Rajput said as per passenger feedback, the current success rate of this initiative is a maximum of 30 per cent.
Uber responded to the passenger by apologizing for the inconvenience on X.
Responding to the shortage of Uber Go at the airport, Uber’s representative told The Indian Express, “We have all the products including Uber Go available at the Pune airport. The availability of products may vary at different times of the day. We continue to support riders during times of low supply by providing alternate options which may be more readily available at the time.”
