Uber fined Rs 28K for charging Rs 27 extra from passenger

Chandigarh, April 13

Charging Rs 27 over and above the fare has cost dear to Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd as the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed it to pay Rs 8,000 to a complainant as compensation and litigation charges.

The Commission also directed the company to refund Rs 27, and deposit Rs 20,000 in the consumer legal aid account maintained by it.

Ritvik Garg, in his complaint filed before the Commission, said he had booked a ride through Uber application on September 19, 2022. The ride was booked from Sector 21A, Chandigarh to Modern Housing Complex, Chandigarh. The fare was shown at the time of booking for the ride Rs 53. However, the driver had charged Rs 80 from him as per his own rules and regulations.

He raised the issue with Uber on September 22, 2022 by sending a legal notice. Thereafter, he also sent mails, but his grievance was not redressed.

Opposite party (OP), in its reply, said Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd was a technology services provider that merely provides a software on smart phones that acts as a common platform for driver partners and riders, like the complainant, to interact directly with each other for the purpose of availing and providing transportation or taxi services. The opposite party does not provide transportation services or function as a transportation carrier, nor does it operate as an agent for the transportation of passengers.

After hearing arguments, the commission said after going through the record, it was abundantly clear that the complainant was overcharged by Rs 27, but no investigation report has been placed on record by the opposite party to take action against the concerned driver.

“Thus, we are of the opinion that when a customer pays money to the driver certainly some amount of money definitely goes to the OP. The OP simply cannot absolve its liability by shouldering the same upon the driver. In our opinion, it was incumbent upon the OP before taking services of the driver of such type vehicle to know that his behavior is normal and not aggressive” the commission said.

In order to keep check on such unruly service providers, who commit breach of assurances, promises and commitments at the nick of time, they were required to be dealt with heavy hands and as such OP must be made to deposit at least Rs 20,000 as compensation in consumer legal aid account of the Commission, in addition to the amounts payable to the complainant.