GUWAHATI: These days, it seems nearly difficult to get a cab for a fair cost. Either the drivers do not want to go, or you cannot find a cab as soon as you start looking for one, or the fare will surge. Every day, city dwellers encounter similar situations, and there is no change even after the launch of the cab services by Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC).
Many commuters relying on ASTC City Cabs have sounded an alarm that commuters are getting financially burdened because of the modus operandi of the cab drivers. Many passengers of Guwahati have reported a troubling trend where ASTC City Cab drivers, after cancelling the ride, demand additional money for completing the ride.
Talking to GPlus, Ankit Sinolia, an ASTC City Cab user said, "While booking a cab on ASTC City cab for my airport commute, I encountered what seems to be a new scam among the drivers. The cab arrived as expected, but the driver, mid-loading my luggage, abruptly cancelled the ride, claiming that I had cancelled it before providing the OTP."
The driver, seemingly indifferent to the cancelled ride, proceeded to negotiate a fare with Ankit, agreeing to the amount initially shown during the booking. However, a twist emerged—Ankit was informed that an inbuilt system in the app includes parking charges of Rs. 150, which would be added to the fare when using the offline payment option.
Facing a time crunch, Ankit reluctantly accepted these conditions and proceeded to the airport. This incident raises concerns about the transparency of the booking process and the additional charges communicated to passengers.
Similarly, another commuter, a resident of Zoo Road talking to GPlus stated, "On Saturday, I booked an ASTC City Cab, expecting a reliable service for my journey to Guwahati airport. However, after a few minutes of travel, the driver unexpectedly cancelled my trip, falsely claiming that I had initiated the cancellation. Upon reaching the airport, he demanded additional money, and given the time constraints, I reluctantly paid. This not only raises safety concerns but also points towards a trend of deceiving passengers."
However, talking to GPlus, Rahul Das, the Managing Director of ASTC stated, "We will look into this matter immediately if such things are happening."
It needs to be mentioned that as the ASTC started the new app based cab service, the commuters in Guwahati were expecting a better cab service, but the dreams remained shattered.
