If you book a ride from a cab service, you will not have to pay extra money in the name of advance tip. The government has directed ride-hailing platforms like Rapido, Ola, Uber and InDrive to discontinue the ‘advance tip’ feature from their mobile apps. The Transport Ministry issued an order on Wednesday saying, ‘It is completely wrong to collect tip from customers in advance at the time of booking.’ This step of the government will provide a big relief to crores of passengers booking cabs, who were often forced to pay more to get a car during peak hours. Companies were extorting money by luring them to get a quick ride. The Ministry said in the order that in recent times many such cases have come to light, where some companies have included the feature of advance tip in their apps. Companies were using this feature to woo customers or to create pressure in a way. Passengers were shown that if they would add some money as advance tip at the time of booking, they would get the car or bike very quickly. The government has considered this method unfair. Tipping is the customer’s choice: The government says tipping is always voluntary. Any customer gives a tip to the driver only when he is satisfied with his service. According to the order, tip can be paid only after the ride is completed. Asking for a tip even before the journey begins or the vehicle is booked is a violation of customers’ rights and does not fall within the scope of the rules of ride-hailing platforms. Why did the trend of advance tip start? In big cities of India, the demand for cabs or autos increases significantly during peak hours (like going to office in the morning or returning home in the evening). Many times drivers do not accept rides on short distances or routes with traffic. To take advantage of this, some ride-hailing apps had started features like ‘Advance Tip’ or ‘Priority Booking’. In this, the customer himself offered a tip ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 100 in advance, so that after seeing more money on the screen, a driver would immediately accept his ride. But gradually it was becoming a compulsion for the common user. Companies will have to change the algorithm of their apps. After this strict stance of the government, now all the major ride-hailing companies will have to change the interface and booking algorithm of their mobile applications. Companies will have to remove the advance tip option from the booking screen. If companies do not follow this direction, fines or other punitive action can also be taken against them by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Transport. Now companies will be able to give the tip option on the feedback screen only after the ride is over.
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