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‘Surge pricing, cancellations’: Survey reveals Bengaluru’s commute woes – Report

A recent survey by LocalCircles has revealed significant concerns among Bengaluru’s taxi users regarding ride-sharing services. The study, which gathered over 10,000 responses, highlights multiple issues experienced by passengers of ride-hailing companies such as Ola, Uber, and BluSmart, according to a report on News18.
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For Uber users, the survey found that 85 per cent faced at least one problem in the past year. The primary complaints included drivers using mobile phones while driving (69 per cent), surge pricing (54 per cent), and ride cancellations (46 per cent). Additionally, 38 per cent were dissatisfied with vehicle cleanliness, while 31 per cent cited other unspecified issues, the report noted. Despite these complaints, 62 per cent of Uber riders appreciated the ease of booking and availability.
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On the other hand, Ola users reported even more problems, with 93 per cent experiencing one or more issues. The most common grievances were surge pricing (78 per cent), drivers talking on mobile (69 per cent), and unclean vehicles (69 per cent), the publication added. Other concerns included ride cancellations (62 per cent) and poor customer service (47 per cent). Nonetheless, 60 per cent of Ola consumers valued the service’s ease of booking and availability.
BluSmart users also voiced their concerns, with 61 per cent encountering issues such as unprofessional behavior from drivers and mobile phone usage while driving. Problems with customer service and high costs for rental rides were also noted. Despite these issues, BluSmart riders appreciated the absence of surge pricing and the reliability of drivers not cancelling rides.
Overall, Bengaluru continues to be infamous for its commute issues. There has been a brewing discontent from customers and drivers alike with aggregators, especially after authorities came down hard on them and imposed regulations for overcharging customers.

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