Pune: Citizens stranded, faced huge surge in cab prices during rain and flooding on Thursday
Recent spell of heavy rainfall on Thursday, July 25, brought life to a grinding halt in the twin cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Many low lying areas were inundated with flood waters.
However those who had to travel for emergencies or other important work, found themselves stuck with extremely high surge pricing on cab hailing apps. Consequently PMPML buses and autorickshaws were the only options left for commuting.
With a large number of commuters needing transportation, many opted for cabs, but booking was difficult. The wait time for cabs ranged from 20 to 25 minutes, and some drivers would accept a booking only to cancel it later. This led to significant inconvenience for passengers, who faced increased costs as rickshaw drivers demanded Rs 50 extra while cab fares soared by Rs 80 to Rs 100.
It was seen that the cab drivers were initially reluctant to accept bookings. Those who did often tried to cancel once the passenger arrived, offering excuses. Many travellers reported that drivers demanded higher fares to honour their bookings, exploiting the passengers’ urgent need for transportation.
A woman from Sinhagad Road said, “I wanted to visit my relatives in Kothrud. I tried to book a cab from 12 noon to 6 pm, but the booking was either not confirmed or cancelled by the drivers.”
Another passenger described his experience: “I booked a cab from Bharti University in Katraj to Bavdhan. Although the address was provided correctly, the drivers initially hesitated and later refused to come. When I offered to pay extra, the driver agreed to come. This felt like a form of exploitation.”
