Mumbai: Spiking fare by Rs 62 costs Ola a whopping Rs 15,000

Shreyans Mamania, the complainant

Revising the fare at the end of a trip has cost Ola Cabs Rs 15,000. The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, central Mumbai, observed that the company indulged in unfair practice and directed it to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation to the Kalachowki resident and Rs 5,000 as complaint cost.

Shreyans Mamania, 34, a lawyer, had taken the ride from Kandivli to Kalachowki with his family on June 19 last year. While booking the trip, the fare displayed on the app was Rs 372. However, when they got down at Kalachowki, the cab driver told him the final fare was Rs 434.

The complainant had demanded Rs 4 lakh as compensation, but the forum said it was out of proportion. Representation pic

"The fare increased by Rs 62. I asked the driver how that happened, and he said ‘such things happen, why are you making a big issue out of it'. This enraged me. I tried to connect with the customer care, but there was barely any response. The driver pleaded to me that if I don't pay him the full amount, he will be charged," Mamania told mid-day.

"I paid R434 and later tried to get in touch with the Ola customer care. There was no response. Finally, I decided to approach the consumer forum. My family members asked why I was filing a consumer complaint for just Rs 62, and that it was not a big deal," he said.

Mamania still filed the complaint against Ola Cabs/ANI Technologies on August 17, and the forum accepted it on September 2. The forum issued a notice to Ola Cabs on September 13, but did not receive any response. Finally, it decided to begin the proceedings on December 16 without the presence of Ola Cabs's representatives.

In the proceedings, the forum found that Ola Cabs adopted an unfair trade practice and kept deficiency in their service. Mamania had demanded Rs 4 lakh as compensation, which the forum said was out of proportion. However, it agreed that he was liable for compensation and ordered Ola Cabs to pay Rs 10,000 to Mamania as compensation and Rs 5,000 as cost of complaint within 30 days of the order, which was passed on February 11.

"Many would say it was just Rs 62. But I wanted to make sure that Ola understands this and makes changes in their software. If this happens to even 100 of its customers daily, Ola earns Rs 5,000 from it. It is possible that the number could be higher. We should fight against it," said Mamania.

mid-day approached Ola for comment, but there was no response till the time of going to the press.