[rpunwani]

My usage of Uber has definitely decreased to booking one in a desperate circumstance. The condition of the vehicles and quality of drivers is abysmally poor. To add to the commuters woes, the drivers cancel rides randomly leaving the commuters stranded.

Recently I was on one of the desperate Uber rides to my office in a decently maintained car and he told me that a lot of the drivers are switching to InDrive.

InDrive is a taxi app started by some guys in California. Advantages are:-

1. Driver gets all the money
2. One can bid for the ride, considering that the driver does not have to pay 25% to the app. Say if Uber shows a fare of Rs. 200/- one can bid Rs. 150+ on InDrive.
3. Tolls & parking are to be paid by the customer.
4. Quality of vehicles and drivers seem to be better than with Uber/Ola

I believe a lot of people are switching over to InDrive.

[mtk]

While I haven't completely stopped using Ola/Uber I have considerably reduced their usage. For instance, the last time I used Uber was on March 23rd. If ever I use it it'll be from the railway station/airport/bus stand to home. That too I book an Auto.

The main reason for this reduced usage is the absurd price increase. This price increase is not post-covid. I remember my flight ticket to Cochin from Bangalore cost me under ₹2000 while Ola cab showed ₹1600 (Kudlu gate to Bangalore airport). I ended up going by Vayu Vajra bus for ₹250.

Also, another thing I have observed in Bangalore post-covid is that none of them put A/C. Even after asking some of the drivers refuse to switch them on citing fuel price/instruction from Uber/Ola etc. However, this is not the case in Cochin/Trivandrum/Trissus where all of them put A/C proactively.

[CLIX]

The repeated cancellations of both Ola and Uber have made them a highly unreliable option.
The fares too can be crazy, but I have come to ignore the fare. I get a ride after booking, that is way beyond "customer expectation" at this point of time. See an example attached.

[Rajain]

Totally stopped unless nothing else (even a good old auto is available).

I guess all of us have stories on how bad the cabs and their drivers are.

Mine was one evening at BKC, Mumbai - 18 cancellations in 1.25 hrs and no cab. I was patient and wanted to check how bad can it be.

Finally took a black and yellow traditional Mumbai cab.

I have also identified companies like Akbar travels and Eco Rent a car who are reliable, neat, clean and will not fail.

No more Uber/Ola for me

Cheers
Rajain

[DetectiveMiles]

I too have significantly reduced using Ola/Uber services after facing issues with their services. Mainly canceling after asking destination or payment method. I do book airport cabs via MakeMyTrip in a day advance. Also depend more on Metro if available towards my destination. In case of parking availability at destination, I just drive.

[yashg]

Uber/Ola experience has deteriorated greatly in last few years. As incentives for drivers vanished and their incomes plummeted, the service quality has gone for a toss. It's now at the same level as the kaali peeli of yore. I take Ola/Uber only when necessary and it is a stressful experience. I have to plan well in advance and factor in multiple cancellations. After booking, I look at the app anxiously. I call the drives and tell him where I want to go and ask him if he will come. When I have to get somewhere on time, where I can't take my own car because of parking issue or one way trip like airport drop I almost plead "bhai aa rahe ho na? Cancel mat karna please!" (Brother are you coming? Please don't cancel). Just getting one to come is an achievement in itself, quality or cleanliness of the car is no longer a concern. A filthy, smelly, banged-up up car is to be expected by default.

[Satish Pari]

The only time I use an Uber or Ola in Chennai is when I need to travel to the airport from home. When I fly back to Chennai, I always take the airport black taxi - costs more and wait time is more but is more convenient.

But Ola/Uber are the default choices when I fly to any city on official business. As many members have mentioned, have started using Ola/Uber autos more regularly as fares are pretty decent and the cancellations are less.

[Freespirit27]

My usage was never much in first place but it has reduced further. No complaints on car smell or age - down south these guys mainly run the Alto /Wagon R type compacts. A/c has never been issue. Mostly these are airport drops or car service pickups and only Uber. The convenience of pickups is better than calling multiple drivers to check availability. But yes the dynamic pricing is a scam as it ultimately evens out in the longer run.

[TheBigV]

Uber and specially Ola have totally lost the plot. Cab drivers are now a constant headache for those unfortunate customers trying to book a cab. Frequent cancellations, rude drivers and shabby cabs. I have totally switched to using my own car or using the local cab providers.

[DocwithFiesta]

Just went through my ride history and in 2022, there are 5:- 2 of which were cancelled. Zero rides in 2023.
The 3 rides I booked in 2022, were for my mother and not for me. I would rather drive to my destination and if required, park 1-2 kms away and walk 10 mins to the place than take an Uber!!!!

Story from January 2023:
We Chennaites were always of the opinion that Airport Pre-paid Cabs were way too expensive. Since the inception of Uber/Ola, I had never thought of booking the Pre-paid Cabs, until recently.

Chennai Airport to my home is 16kms, and Uber showed an estimate of Rs.1100. Since I had no other option, I was sort of ready to book an Uber but at the last moment thought of checking out with the Pre-paid guys- quite hesitantly though. To my surprise their fare was Rs.600 ONLY- a huuge 500 rupees difference!!!.
Now, 600 rupees for a 16km ride is also on the higher side, but given the situation at that moment, it was digestible.

The cab was a first generation Swift Dzire(I like those as they are bigger and more comfortable than the sub 4 meter Dzires) with AC in perfect order and maintained in top-notch condition.

The fares Ola/Uber charges nowadays are not at all justifiable and need some kind of intervention from the Government.

[VVN]

Yes big time. But it also has to do with my work setting. I work in a hybrid environment and am currently living in Dehradun and travel to Gurgaon once a month for a week. I use Blu Mobility when in Gurgaon and I have my own car for all other travel purposes. Ola and Uber have deteriorated significantly, especially Ola. The drivers are arrogant, the cab is extremely unhygienic most of the times and the cancellation is through the roof. Blu Mobility has addressed these issues since they own the assets and the drivers are employees. Having my own car to travel between Dehradun and Gurgaon also helps a lot.

[kovilkalai]

I have deleted the Ola app and my usage of Uber has decreased significantly.

Reasons:

I found that Ola was indulging in unethical practices. A couple of times, I caught them charging me Rs. 50 even when a driver cancelled a ride. When I reached out to customer service they tried to explain it away saying the software can't tell the difference between a driver cancellation and a customer cancellation. I'm sure all of you know that this is nonsense. It is possible that I have been charged that Rs. 50 a few times before I caught them. I deleted the app right after my call with their customer service

Uber has been okay. However, the quality of cars has declined significantly. The likelihood of landing a cab has also declined. And of course, the prices have gone up.

Then there is the squeeze they put on the drivers. In a business where the driver takes on the operating cost and the risk, 20+% commissions in a price sensitive business is just too much. Doing this by baiting them into taking loans for cars and then jacking the prices is plain shady.

What do I do for transportation:

I only take cabs to go to the airport. I have a local taxi guy with a fleet of a dozen cars that I use. The fleet ranges from i10s and Etioses to old and new Innovas. Even the old Innovas are spotlessly clean. They charge a wee bit more than Uber, but in my mind, it is worth the premium for a clean car and a safe driver - I even talked to him about hours of work per day and he ensures that his drivers get some mandatory rest every day.

When I am in another city, I try and use autos and public transport (suburban rail/metro). When I am in a pinch, I do use Uber.

[gopalnt]

I have stopped using Ola/Uber and they are my desperate last resort. I drive mostly or use Auto for short distances, catching them on the road instead of pre-booking them. I can tolerate even filthy cars but not the filthy attitude of the drivers.

[amit1agrawal]

I stopped using Ola/Uber long back. The cab is not available when you need the most i.e. during office hours, when it rains or when traffic is high. Frequent cancellations, long waiting times, dirty & smelly cabs, higher charges, etc made me switch to using my personal car for the commute. Now, I use them only if my car is not available & there is no alternative option. If I have to go to a place where parking is not available, I take my car to the point where I can get parking and then take an auto from there. I prefer taking an auto as they are cleaner and inherently don't have an issue of smell.
The economics also favors owning a personal car. For instance, a 10 km ride to the office & back daily would cost on an average Rs 600 i.e. 13.2k per month considering 5 days a week. Additionally, for weekend outings with family, one would generally end up spending another 2-3k per month. In that amount, one can own a small car that is clean, well-maintained, personalized as per your wish, and always available. Plus, when the loan is over, the only cost is the service & fuel. Whereas, in the case of Ola/Uber, the cost would continue to rise YoY. The only con is that you have to drive yourself.
On a side note, I think Ola/Uber services will stop one day as it's not making money for the company or for the driver.

[ricky_speed]

In Delhi, you'd go for BluSmart because the cars are newer and even though the driver quality has deteriorated significantly, it's still better than an Uber or Ola. The fixed pricing and higher reliability add to the pros. The downside is that BluSmart needs to be booked significantly in advance, and you end up taking Uber/Ola otherwise. BluSmart works especially well for rides to airport because you know your departure schedule, and you get the complete boot space as there is no CNG cylinder limiting the luggage storage.

Transport from the airport to city is the trickiest. All private vehicles and most cabs (Uber, Ola, BluSmart included) must pick up passengers in the multilevel parking which is sweltering and filled with exhaust fumes. But all cab companies that pickup from the arrival lane (Meru, Easycabs, Kali-peeli) have no system of rating the driver. Hence it's way too likely you end up with a maniac driver, who has no incentive to drive nice to keep up their rating. Hence, I end up taking the BluSmart amongst the exhaust fumes at the multi-level parking.

I'm assuming Uber Black stopped in Mumbai as well? It used to be a good option to get a nice & clean Toyota Corolla or Innova with a reasonable driver.