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-   -   New trend of Uber drivers | "Where do you want to go?" (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/249647-new-trend-uber-drivers-where-do-you-want-go-12.html)

Presumably these are the same set of drivers who used to game Uber and Ola to earn maximum incentives when they were being dished out. Now that incentives are stopped & Aggregators started asking for their pound of flesh, wonder why taxi drivers/owners are complaining. No one complained when they were earning insane amount of incentives. Did they really think (if at all) the music will play for ever?

Similar experience in Kerala, drivers ring and ask for destination and payment mode - they only turn up if the destination suits their logic and cash is payment mode.

Once (when I was lucky to get a cab) the driver said he prefers cash as they need cash to pay for petrol and food, can't wait for money to be credited to their accounts from Uber/Ola.

I hope this is implemented soon and PAN INDIA.

This isn't a new trend, refusing to ride was always present, may be not on the alarming levels as it is today. Earlier, in Delhi NCR, the excuse used to be "Sir CNG khatam hone waali h nahi jaa paenge"(Sir, I am about to run out of CNG, cannot risk a ride). But this is expected in a country where service quality levels leave a lot to be desired be it any service. The service quality cannot be improved overnight, it can only be improved progressively.

This is because a driver who is representing the brand, doesn't really cares about the brand, if tomorrow there are 4 conglomerates providing cab services, he'll sign up with all 4 of them to maximize his income. All he cares about is making money with maximum possible convenience which again cannot be argued if its un/ethical. These large conglomerates, initially lure/acquire the "channel partners" through high fixed salaries and then high incentives. Back when these services initiated, there was an article in papers with catchy headline "Cab drivers earning more than MBA's". Once the demand is created, and large end user pool is ready, they phase out those incentives progressively which were being given to the drivers. Now what happens is, driver finds it tough to ditch the job and the end user relies too much on the service. We had threads running here with topics like, why go through hassles of driving when you have Ola/Uber? I mean like seriously? You didn't see this coming?

With the decrease in incentives, service quality is bound to drop. You'll frequently find dirty cars with questionable hygiene, overworked and sleepy drivers, refusals and drivers finding loopholes in the system like cancelling the ride though app but accepting it offline etc. But why did companies stop the incentives? Because they have to turn profitable too after years of splurging in acquisitions, marketing and expansion. You see the base rate in our country for most services are low, and these companies are not here for charity either, so they find a middle ground where the equilibrium sets in between service quality and profitability, which works fine for OLA/Uber, making drivers the scapegoat. I think, in our country, that's how it will be for most, if not all services which are aimed at the mass market.

While i agree that the cancellation have increased and are a major inconvenience, also that aggregators have to improve a lot. I dont agree with bashing of aggregator model and that technology is not the answer narrative.
Lets compare today with pre-aggregator era:

1) More option for user: Earlier we either planned and booked cabs in advance, or hailed roadside auto/taxi. Now cabs come to pick us up and we move out of convenience of our home/office once they have arrived. Roadside hailing is still an option so using aggregator is optional. We did get used to the convenience of using cabs at a reasonable cost, and now that comfort is reduced. I also suffer due to these cancellations, but wishing away aggregators may not be the solution.

2) More option for drivers: These are new and extra jobs created. Yes like any new business, to sell a new concept, attract large volumes they did go all out on incentives. I dont see a problem there. Even now from what i have read in the forum post commission the net fare is same or higher than roadside cabs. Imagine earning the same amount as competitor and not having to worry about customer acquisition, makes perfect sense for any business. The problem i think is more of "feeling cheated/hopes dashed" because drivers assumed the incentives to last forever.

I think the current state is like "teenage years" of aggregator businesses. They are not going away, but the happy adolescence is over and all stakeholders will have to mature. Here is my guess how it will go

1) Prices will increase: Getting a cab on demand at your door step is a convenience and we will have to pay for it.

2) Aggregators change their policies: Better Pricing system (higher base fare, pricing based on route conditions and even probability of finding next journey), improve quality and service checks, maybe even reduce commission charges.

3) Drivers get used to new normal: It may take some time but drivers will have to understand the reality, incentives will not be coming back. As long as they are getting paid higher than or same as roadside cabs (including the distance travelled for pickup) they should and probably will have to be ok.

From what I recall (there were lot of untoward incidents by Uber/Ola drivers especially in and around NCR region, mostly with females - why is this not surprising?) this was supposed to be done 4-5 years back already, based on which Uber and Ola continued with their shops.

I recently booked an Ola for an airport trip. When the driver reached my place, he asked me to cancel. Initially I didnt want to cancel and so I started talking to him on the way to the airport. From what I understood from him, once they get a ride accepted with the OTP, it seems he has to stay in the bangalore airport holding area until his number comes up - which sometimes lasts a whole day. If he does not verify the ride, he can do return to the city or other place for another ride. This was the logic he gave. I think it sort of makes sense - looking at the sheer number of cabs that are parked in the cab holding area near the airport - there must be thousands at any given time. So I cancelled the ride from my end.
However, now there seems to be a -Rs.50 in my Ola account due to my cancellation which looks like i have to pay for when I book a ride next. Reason I used for cancellation was "change of plans" if I am not mistaken.

Ola plans IPO in first half of 2022.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/88048345.cms

This is getting frustrating with every passing day. Just today I wanted to go to the service center to get my bike back and the ride was cancelled thrice by autos. The good thing is there is a rickshaw stand near my house. So I took one at a pre-negotiated price which was just 8 rupees more than what Uber was charging. Took it and had a good chat with the auto driver on the way.

I have slowly started switching back to the old method of whistling or calling an Auto by vigorous hand gestures, accompanied by their vigorous head nod if ride declined, instead of tapping fingers on the app and getting a notification later that ride is cancelled. It is the same, if you think about it :)

Of late I've had good success with Uber Premier and Ola Prime/Play in Bangalore. Both expensive options but no questions on destination and cash payments, and AC is switched on by default :).

Unfortunately for the standard rides, cash is the only way to get the cab.

Thanks to BHPians for sharing some tips. Here are 3 ways that significantly reduce the chances of a cancellation.

- Use Uber Scheduling. I am now scheduling my rides, and there are added benefits if you do it 2+ hours in advance. The reliability has been 100%.

- If the ride is critical to you, mention a tip in the initial message to the driver. I anyway tip if the car & driver are both good. Had a Dzire yesterday that was just 4 months old (but 28000 km!!!), with nice seat covers, blinds on the windows and superb driving. Tipped him via the app.

- Use Premium. Lesser cancellations than Uber Go.

But really, "scheduling" has been 100% reliable for me.

Uber/Ola have become like Chennai Autowallahs now :)

• Chennai Autowallahs were famous for demaning "Meter ku mela" (i.e. pay extra on top of meter charge!).

• This was in the initial days and after that Autowallahs stopped even putting meter on and started to quote whatever that comes to their mind based on their mood.

Unless the Uber/Ola model changes I don't think this menace will go away any time soon!

People have to use their own tips and tricks to overcome this situation. Now-a-days I am factoring in additional "20 minutes" to my travel time to manage this cancellation menace!

If you reach your destination 20 minutes early then no issues but those 20 minutes are absolutely critical particularly on those airports and railway station drops!

Try this hack next time if you getting 'cancelled' on trip back home from airports especially late night. I walked out of Mumbai Domestic Airport to Western expressway just outside and voila the fare dropped by 50% ! Seems their algorithm calculates peak fare based on location and of course no of users asking for a cab at a point in time. Yes, it works if you travel single and light!

I've faced a few issues with UBER. This happened in Gurgaon in March. We were to go for a doctor's appointment, cab came at 9:30am. We started and I asked him to switch on AC to which he said that he can't switch it on as the car is running low on CNG. I asked him to get it refilled at next stop. Then started the question session, where do you exactly want to go? How much fare is it showing in the app? If you pay me cash, it'll be better as then only I can get CNG refilled otherwise no AC. I asked him why he didn't tell all this earlier to which he didn't reply. Then I told him I'll pay cash, he should cancel ride from his side. He said he is unable to cancel so I'll have to cancel. I wanted to take another cab but then unavailability and landing in similar situation made me continue with the same cab. He got CNG from a bunk and then switched on AC. I paid him cash at destination. Later I found that I was billed for about 80 odd Rs for cancelling the ride after starting. So I raised a complaint and had a chat with UBER. My charges were removed. This was something I was not happy with.

Now this is what was seen yesterday in a UBER in Gurgaon. Someone in family took a cab and was greeted with this. The driver took 40Rs for a ride of around 40mins for AC over the actual fare.



I'm not against them charging extra when the CNG prices have also shot through the roof. But UBER needs to sensitize their cab drivers and also remunerate them better. The drivers should inform their passengers about anything or any issues that are, before the start of trip. Moreover, in such cases, UBER must not levy any cancellation fee from customers.

Another alternative that I've found out is using the BluSmart cabs in Gurgaon. They're good if you get one. All electric fleet of Verito or Tigor or MG-EVS. I've used its services on 2 occasions and found them good. Only issue is that they've a speed restriction of 60kmph and limited availability.

My issue with the Uber/Ola drivers and this AC on/off or distance-to-be-covered issue is professionalism. Let's say you work for an IT giant on a project as a contractor for the client. If your employer is underpaying you, you should raise that issue with the HR and the management, not harass the client for extra pay.

I'm sympathetic to the cause of Uber/Ola drivers because inflation is a real issue and I'm myself facing reduced cash flow in my business. To the point that I'm willing to pay extra as DISPLAYED ON THE APP, but not arbitrary rates levied by the drivers.

The drivers are contractors, and they should raise the issue of price hikes with Uber management, not harass the customers with random rates for AC usage and sundry. The transport unions are quite powerful and they can also work with the government for some tax rebates when it comes to commercial CNG/Diesel/Petrol usage. This is the case with Britain if I'm not wrong. Commercial diesel in UK cost different than non-commercial diesel(Plus a different colour).