It’s been termed illegal by the Transport Department, but there’s hope

Starting this Friday, commuters will not be able to share a ride to work through taxi aggregators Ola and Uber in Bengaluru.

After a two-hour-long meeting with the Transport Commissioner on Monday, both app-based aggregators agreed to halt ride-sharing services offered under the brands ‘UberPOOL’ and ‘OlaShare’, as they have been termed illegal.

“The companies have asked for three days to modify their software. If they do not comply, we will have to take action against them,” said Transport Commissioner M.K. Aiyappa.

Thousands of commuters rely on ride-sharing to get to work as it is affordable. But it is unlikely for the ban to remain permanent, as the Transport Department is in favour of the service.

“Ride-sharing is beneficial to the environment and reduces the number of cars on the road. If they submit a request seeking permission to ply, we will recommend to the Karnataka government that ride-sharing be allowed,” Mr. Aiyappa added.

No legal framework

The service was offered without a legal framework. Transport Department officials said cabs could be detained for permit violations of the contract carriage conditions, which only allow for multiple passengers to be picked up from one point and dropped at a specific point.

But, under the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, the permit conditions can be modified in the public interest. This is most likely the method by which ride-share services will be made legal in the coming weeks.