Nagpur: Often we hear complaints of auto rickshaw drivers cheating passengers and extracting money from them. The private cab service providers are also not an exception to this, if a recent incident is any indication.
One of the cab service providers charged additional money from a passenger at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport and when the passenger threatened to approach the media as well as court, the service provider returned him the money promptly.
On April 24, Ashok Sahu, a HR Manager with an IT company in Nagpur, was returning from Jaipur to the city by flight. On landing at Nagpur airport, Ashok through his mobile app booked a cab of Uber. He was then issued a system generated estimated bill of Rs 283.20 including toll charges and taxes. However, when Ashok boarded the taxi and reached home, the taxi driver charged additional Rs 80 from him towards airport entry fee. When Ashok pointed out to the driver that it was included in the bill, the driver refused to entertain his claim and made him to pay the additional amount.
Ashok then sent a complaint through email to Uber narrating the entire incident. In reply, he was asked to mention the excess amount he had paid along with other details. Ashok sent the details again, this time warning the Uber officials that if his complaint is not entertained, he would approach the media and also file a suit of cheating with consumer forum.
Acting swiftly on his threat, Uber officials credited an amount of Rs 80 to his account apologizing for the inconvenience caused to him.
Talking to Nagpur Today, Ashok said he is a frequent flyer and at no airport neither in Jaipur nor New Delhi or any other places, passengers have to pay entry or exit fee. Moreover, the cab providers while charging you the bill, include all the expenses. However, the drivers with an intention to mint extra money make the passengers pay it twice. This has become a regular practice at Nagpur airport where cab owners think that flight travellers are well off and would never bother to cross check the details whether they made to pay twice and thus are being cheated, Ashok alleged.
By Awadhoot Pathak
