Divyank Kushagra Bansal 
The Bengaluru transport department will soon tighten restrictions on carpooling apps such as Quick Ride and BlaBla Car. This decision comes after persistent demands from public transport unions in the city to halt this practice, as obviously, the practice serves as a convenient way to avoid sky-high cab fares and also save on commuting time. To justify this crackdown, the transport department has deemed the use of private vehicles for commercial purposes illegal.
This has been a long-standing issue, especially with taxi drivers. They claim that while they have to adhere to tax regulations and obtain necessary permits to operate legally, carpooling aggregators operate unjustly. In a recent strike organised by private taxi and bus associations on 11th September, the unions had demanded the transport department take action against the use of private vehicles by aggregator apps.
The Decided Penalty
Any private vehicle owner found carpooling may face up to a six-month suspension of their vehicle’s registration certificate (RC) and a penalty ranging from ₹5,000 – 10,000. Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) of areas including Jayanagar, KR Pura, Electronic City, HSR Layout, Devanahalli, and Yelahanka, have been ordered to implement this penalty on carpoolers.
Bengaluru – A City Ruled by Unions?
Bengaluru’s reputation for chaotic traffic conditions and unbelievable travel times is well known. And before the COVID outbreak, carpooling was seen as the most feasible, long-term solution for densely populated hubs in the country, like Bengaluru. That’s due to its benefits in terms of reducing traffic congestion (fewer vehicles on roads) and travel costs (less fuel consumption). However, the transport department’s current decision to crackdown on carpooling apps at the behest of public transport unions comes across as severely illogical. Is the move also driven by political motivations? Perhaps.
