After receiving complaints from taxi drivers, the Transport Department of Bengaluru has now decided to take action against carpooling using mobile application platforms like Quick Ride, BlaBlaCar, among others. Carpooling essentially helps decongest cities by transporting people who are taking the same route in one vehicle rather than taking different vehicles for each individual. However, the Transport Department says that using private vehicles with a white registration plate for commercial purposes is illegal. Additional Commissioner (Enforcement) of the Transport Department Mallikarjun C said that those involved in carpooling using such apps may invite repercussions that could include the suspension of the registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle for six months, and a penalty that can range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
“Carpooling apps are violating rules by aggregating private cars that cannot be used for commercial purposes. We have been receiving complaints from unions of taxi drivers. RTOs have been directed to act against these illegal operations,” said the official. Another official from Karnataka Rajya Chalakara Parishat argued that a taxi driver needs to register a taxi, obtain permits and pay taxes, whereas these carpool apps are operating without any licenses. Apart from decongesting roads, carpooling also helps reduce fuel consumption, thereby not only bringing the cost of travelling down, but also helping reduce vehicular pollution. Earlier this week, Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch was choked with unprecedented traffic. People reported that it took hours to cover distances of about 2-3 km. The traffic jam also resulted in some school children reaching home at 8 to 9 PM, as per the ordeals of commuters.
