Bengaluru commuters welcome government move against tipping, drivers seek fairer fares

Auto and taxi drivers expressed concern that the restriction could affect their daily earnings. | Photo credit: File photo

Commuters in Bengaluru have welcomed the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s (CCPA) move against pre-ride gratuity calls on ride-hailing platforms, saying the move could help curb what they describe as extortionate pricing practices.

However, auto and taxi drivers have expressed concern that the restriction could affect their daily earnings, especially as aggregator platforms continue to charge hefty commissions for trips.

The government has ordered taxi aggregators to stop offering tipping options in advance before booking a ride, calling it misleading and unfair. Consumer Affairs Minister Nidhi Khare made the statement on 16 September 2026, a day after the CCPA fined ₹10,000 on ride-hailing platform Rapido for several alleged unfair business practices, including providing tipping options in advance.

The CCPA is also investigating the business practices of other major ride-hailing platforms, including Uber and Ola.

In Bengaluru, some commuters said pre-ride tipping was increasingly becoming part of the booking experience, especially when demand was high or when drivers were reluctant to accept short-distance journeys.

“It felt less like a tip and more like a bribe for a ride. The government intervention is bringing transparency back to the base fare. But I have seen the main taxi drivers continue to collect tips,” said Priya Rao, an auto commuter from JP Nagar.

Drivers are looking for fairer earnings

Shekhar Prasad from Whitefield said he faced similar issues when he tried to book a car through multiple platforms. “Despite clear instructions from the government, they are still showing tipping option. Yesterday I tried to book a car through several apps, but after getting none for almost half an hour, I had to tip more than ₹80 to get the car,” he said.

However, drivers argue that the problem needs to be viewed in the context of their overall earnings. Auto and taxi drivers have pointed to commissions from aggregators, which they say can account for around 25% to 30% of the value of a trip, along with rising fuel and maintenance costs and low-value short-distance rides.

Auto drivers said they don’t support manipulative app interfaces or practices that force passengers to tip before driving. At the same time, they want voluntary tips to remain easily accessible to passengers along the way.

“We are already losing a huge chunk of our hard-earned money to aggregator commissions. Tipping directly benefits us with no deductions from the platform. While banning pre-booking manipulation is fair, the system needs to ensure post-ride tipping remains simple and accessible. If the passengers are satisfied with the service, that amount also belongs to the driver,” said TM Rudramurthy, General Secretary of DriverwARD’s Auto Ricksha.

Sustainable fare structure

Mr. Rudramurthy also called for a more sustainable fare structure based on regulated metered tariffs. “We believe the best approach would be to introduce metered fares with a minimum fare of at least ₹40 in the city along with an annual inflation-linked fare revision. This would provide a more sustainable fare structure for drivers while helping to reduce passengers’ dependence on app-based aggregators,” he added.

The Hindu tried to reach out to major taxi aggregators for their reactions, but there was no response.

Published – 19 Sep 2026 21:25 IST