Kolkata: The Online Cab Operators Guild has urged state transport minister Arjun Singh to ban the fare-bidding feature, used by private ride-hailing apps, saying the system was “hurting drivers and passengers alike”. They asked the department to “mandate uniform, fixed grid-pricing guidelines”.The bidding model allows passengers and drivers to negotiate fares in real time. The guild said this turned public transport into a bargaining system, where struggling drivers were pushed to accept fares below operating costs, while passengers at times ended up paying more than the initial fare.Indranil Banerjee, general secretary of the union, said, “Some platforms have introduced a dynamic ‘bidding’ model, under which passengers and drivers bargain for fares. This system has commodified public transport to a hazardous degree. It forces desperate drivers to underbid each other, lowering their margins below operational costs, or forces commuters to pay exorbitant amounts in peak hours. This bidding also acts as a distraction while driving.” Passengers supported the demand. Sabyasachi Banerjee, an IT executive, said, “We cannot book a cab unless we pay extra. Unless we raise the fare, most drivers do not take bookings.” But some, like IT professional Rupa Dutta, opposed a complete ban: “The bidding model was the only feature that actually work amid heavy rain or late-night surges.” The Guild also raised concerns about the unchecked onboarding of new vehicles by app-based cab companies, saying it caused oversupply and reduced daily ride numbers. Banerjee said this makes it difficult for drivers to cover “monthly EMIs, insurance, and commercial permit costs”.
