Over 1,000 drivers enrol with Yatri app in Kochi

Drivers need not pay commission to promoters of app; formal launch slated for July 23

The newly introduced low-fare option, alleged non-revision of fares for five years, and older cars being overlooked for newer ones have led to much consternation among drivers who attached to prominent online taxi aggregator firms, who have been severely hit by the pandemic-induced fall in patronage. “Most of us were eking out a hand-to-mouth existence due to the pandemic situation, coupled with pressure from banks and finance companies to clear loan dues, when a prominent online firm introduced the ‘low-fare’ option, whereby drivers could opt to operate at lower than the rock-bottom fare that was already in vogue. It is simply not possible for most drivers to operate at the lowered fares, especially so since fuel price has skyrocketed and is going up almost every other day,” said Shajimon Thomas, who had attached his car to an online firm. “The low-fare option in turn came with the commission that the firm levied increasing from 26% to 40%. The firm introduced this under the garb of helping drivers get return trips from suburbs. This is in addition to the base fare for many trips being reduced from ₹150 to ₹118 and levying of charges on drivers under different heads. Online firms know that most drivers do not have another option, since they are caught between the commitment to repay vehicle loans and the low resale value of cars post-COVID,” he added.