Taking cognisance of the complaints raised by taxi drivers, the transport department in Bengaluru has decided to tighten its noose on carpooling apps like Quick Ride.

Interestingly, an increasing number of techies in the IT hub, Bengaluru, are turning to carpooling to reduce transportation expenses and combat the problem of traffic jams in the city. The increase in the number of carpooling activities has triggered the transport department to make it clear that the use of private vehicles for commercial purposes is illegal.

Mallikarjun C, the additional commissioner (Enforcement) of the transport department, told TOI that those engaged in carpooling through apps could face consequences such as the suspension of their vehicle registration certificates for a duration of six months, along with fines ranging from INR 5,000 to INR 10,000.

Directives have been issued to regional transport offices (RTOs) in several key areas, including HSR Layout, Jayanagar, Electronic City, K R Puram, Yelahanka, Devanahalli, and others, to initiate legal actions as necessary.

“Apps such as Quick Ride, Zoom and others are operating without any licence. A taxi driver has to register the vehicle as a taxi, obtain a permit and pay taxes. During the private transport operators’ bandh, we had asked the transport department to initiate action against these illegal operations,” K Somashekar of Karnataka Rajya Chalakara Parishat said, as quoted in the report.

KNM Rao, the founder and CEO of Quick Ride, explained that in the city, it typically takes close to one hour to travel a mere 5 km. Hence, individuals working at the same company or tech park commute together in a shared vehicle along predetermined routes. He also noted that carpooling is limited to a maximum of two trips per day.

Carpooling refers to car journeys in which multiple people with the same destination travel together. While the concept is pretty much known for commuting, the format has been working in an unorganised way in India.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways released the Motor Vehicle Aggregators Guidelines, 2020 on November 27, 2020, in accordance with Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. These guidelines also include provisions related to ride pooling.

It is important to note that road transport is a state subject. Consequently, the responsibility for planning and managing sustainable urban transportation systems rests with the respective cities, states, and UTs.

Meanwhile, cab aggregators that provide professional ride-sharing services have encountered regulatory challenges. Ola and Uber currently dominate the ride-hailing services sector, encompassing bikes, autos, and cabs. In the bike-sharing segment, Rapido is emerging as a significant player. However, these companies have been grappling with licensing issues in various states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka.