The good, the bad and the ugly of commuting in a city at the click of a button

Mallika Patil, 28, commutes 13 kilometres daily in Bengaluru to attend office. Over the years, she has used all the app-based cab services like Ola, Uber, Rapido and Namma Yatri to travel the length and breadth of the tech city. She has mixed experiences —the good, the bad and the ugly —of using the services of cab aggregators.

Patil, who is visually impaired, has some specific requirements. She recalls that several times drivers have cancelled her booking after finding out that she is a person with a disability.

Since last year, Patil has been using Namma Yatri for her commute, after the ride-hailing app launched its initiative, ‘Purple Rides’, to make auto-rickshaw and cab services accessible for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Bengaluru. The initiative is a joint venture with EnAble India—a Bengaluru-based non-governmental organisation that works to empower PWDs.

Purple Rides was recently launched in cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Kochi. The purple colour symbolises dignity, respect, inclusivity and empowerment for PWDs.

“This launch is a milestone in our journey to make mobility accessible to all,” said Shanti Raghavan, founder and chief enabler at EnAble India. “Together with Namma Yatri, we are building a future where transportation is inclusive, afforda-ble and empowering.”

“By offering auto and cab services, Purple Rides addresses mobility challenges of disabled people in urban and semi-urban areas. This strategic expansion brings the vision of inclusive transportation to a national level, empowering PWDs with safe, reliable and accessible travel options,” read a Namma Yatri statement.

Experience of a ‘special’ commuter

Patil told The Federal she preferred Namma Yatri over other cab aggregators as the app allows her to disclose her disabling condition on her profile. “So whenever I book a cab or an auto-rickshaw, the driver knows it's a purple ride. The app has communication adaptations catered to hearing, visual and mobility impairments. As I am visually impaired, I use the 'talk back' option. The voice-over informs when a ride is accepted or cancelled by a driver. The 'horn' sound indicates that the vehicle has arrived at my doorstep. For a hearing-impaired person, the app deactivates the phone call option and activates the chat option feature.

"More or less, most of the drivers of Namma Yatri, especially those who ride auto rickshaws (as I mostly use them), have been trained to ferry PWDs. They are sensitive, empathetic and helpful," added Patil.

An app to challenge the monopoly of big businesses

The genesis of the Namma Yatri app is interesting. It was launched in November 2022 as an answer to big cab aggregators that have taken over the streets of Bengaluru. The city's auto drivers were at the forefront in the launch of the "homegrown app" (Namma in the local Kannada language is "our" and Yatri means "traveller").

"The drivers, who were reeling under acute financial distress because of the coronavirus pandemic, had no patience to tolerate their masters (cab aggregators) making maximum profits out of their labour," said Anil Kumar, a graduate and an auto driver from Bengaluru. "The app is an act of rebel-lion from us," he added.

The Namma Yatri app was developed by Bengaluru’s Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU) and built by Juspay Technologies with support from the Beckn Foundation. It is an open mobility application available through the Open Net-work for Digital Commerce platform. Open mobility is an open network where any mode of transport can contribute to providing services to commuters, removing the dependency on any third-party organisations.

The angst of drivers

“Namma Yatri's auto service gained popularity because it doesn't charge drivers any commission,” said Syed Ali, an-other auto driver from Bengaluru. “Namma Yatri has two subscription fee models for its auto drivers. The drivers ei-ther pay Rs 25 per day for any number of rides or Rs 3.50 per trip for up to 10 trips daily. Rides beyond that will re-main free,” he added. Likewise, the cab drivers pay Rs 45 per day or Rs 9 per ride.

Other big aggregators enjoying a monopoly in the market charge 30 to 40 per cent commission per ride from drivers using their apps. "After paying commission and fuel prices, my earnings remain around Rs 1,500 or less per day," said Krishna KR, who has been driving his cab for a decade in Bengaluru.

"Back when Ola and Uber cabs were launched, many young men decided to become cab drivers. These companies made promises galore calling us partners and sharing equitable profits. Many sold their lands in small towns and villages to buy cars. They migrated to Bengaluru to become cab drivers. But those dreams were shattered soon as profit margins shrank as drivers had to shell out more and more with each passing year. Many have sold their cars and left the city in a state of hopelessness," added Krishna.

Several drivers who spoke to The Federal stated that initial driver incentives like high earnings, flexibility and low com-missions dwindled over the years.

Challenges of commuters

Travelling has never been easy in Indian cities because of chaotic traffic, and inadequate, overcrowded and untimely public transportation facilities. Before the launch of cab aggregators, commuters faced unreliable transport services, fare discrepancies and safety concerns.

The introduction of ride-hailing apps came as a boon, especially for the upwardly mobile people of metros. These ser-vices help commuters hire a cab or an auto at the click of a button. Moreover, customers can board the vehicles at their doorsteps by paying a fair price. After cab aggregators took over the market, the commuters were taken for a ride.

"The commuters started facing issues like frequent ride cancellations, dynamic pricing or surge pricing (introduced to balance demand and supply but has become exploitative as customers have to pay three times more than the usual price), rude behaviour from drivers, safety concerns and lack of customer service support," said Anuj (name changed on request), a techie formerly employed with one of the top cab aggregators in Bengaluru.

He alleged that cab aggregators made false promises to capture the market. "Like most companies, cab aggregators are making huge profits at the expense of their workers and customers. On the one hand, customers and drivers are suffering, and on the other, roads have become more chaotic and pollution level has increased manifold."

Going green is the way forward

Delhi-based urban transport planner KN Kishore told The Federal that cab aggregators primarily provide services to the public and help people reach from one point to another. "These vehicles also add to the increase in traffic. This leads to more air and noise pollution. The need of the hour is to build robust, affordable and sustainable public transportation facilities adopted by many other countries."

At a time when everyone is being impacted by climate change, experts are promoting green urban mobility like cycling and walking. A Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Active Mobility in India will be set up in Bengaluru by the Indi-an Institute of Science (IISc) Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab) and Urban Morph. The announcement was made in September this year.

“The centre will work on research, plans, collaborations, and monitoring and evaluation of human-powered transportation modes like walking and cycling towards making the cities solve efficiencies in transportation be it full trips or last/first mile, and become more livable. It will also include modes and methodologies that make our public spaces offer equity in mobility to gender, age, economic strata and disabilities,” according to a press release from the centre.