UBER INFORMS BOMBAY HC THAT UBER CAB DRIVERS EARN 7K-15K EVERY WEEK

Uber India told the Bombay High Court that around 3.5 lakh cab drivers use Uber a week and earn approx ₹7,500 to ₹15,000 a week through the rides. The Taxi aggregator also asserted that it had taken all necessary steps to protect the drivers and customers in order to provide safe rides. 

Uber filed a 332 pages affidavit in response to a PIL filed by Savina Crasto alleging a lack of a consumer grievance-redressal mechanism to resolve complaints. Crasto claimed that she faced several hindrances while booking a cab ride on Uber with respect to experience and payment of money. The petitioner also alleged that Uber’s mobile app does not allow to record the reasons for unpleasant rides.

• Uber claimed that approximately 4,20,000 riders had used their services weekly in Maharashtra since 2014. Uber further claimed to have: Offered free rides to health workers of Maharashtra government and BMMC; Undertaken to vaccinate its drivers; Facilitated microloans for the drivers; arranged and distributed 52,346 PPE kits to drivers.

Regarding compliance with the statutory regime by the Central government in 2020 by way of amendment to Motor Vehicles Act, directing license for carrying on business, Uber submitted in its affidavit that the Maharashtra government had not issued any rules indicating the manner for applying for licenses. 

The Deputy Transport Commissioner of the State also filed an affidavit stating that the term 'aggregator' was introduced in 2019. So prior to that, Uber India was not required to acquire any license except under the Maharashtra City Taxi Rules, which stood suspended. While the State guidelines for aggregators were in the process of being concluded, the Central guidelines were in any case functional and applicable to all aggregators, including Taxi aggregator Uber India. In any case, Uber never made an application seeking a license as an aggregator as per the Motor Vehicles Act. 

Author: Papiha Ghoshal