Uber Fined Rs 28000 Driver overcharged Rs 27 from customer in India

It often happens to people that the driver charges too much money for a cab or other ride. Recently, a similar case has come to light, in which the company had to pay a heavy fine for doing so. Chandigarh’s District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 28,000 on Uber India after its driver charged a customer Rs 27 more for a ride in Chandigarh.

The commission directed Uber India to refund Rs 27 to complainant Ritwik Garg, which was more than what he was charged, as well as pay Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 3,000 as litigation costs. The Commission said that there is a need to “take strict action to keep an eye on such service providers who break promises, trusts and commitments on time.” The complainant will have to deposit at least Rs 20,000 as compensation in the Consumer Legal Aid Account of the Commission, in addition to the amount to be paid as compensation and litigation expenses.

Ritwik Garg, a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab, said that on September 19, 2022, he had booked a Moto Connect ride with Uber cab service through the Uber app from Sector 21A, Chandigarh to Modern Housing Complex Sector 13, Chandigarh.

The name of the cab driver for the ride was Kailash and at the time of booking the fare was shown to be around Rs 53, but at the end of the ride the driver charged Rs 80. Garg said that he raised the matter with Uber India by sending a legal notice on September 22, 2022 and then by mail but did not receive any resolution to his complaint. Later the complaint was taken forward and the Commission, while hearing the case, after seeing the records, said that it is completely clear that it is in the notice of Uber India that the complaining user was overcharged by Rs 27, but in this case, No investigation report was placed on record by Uber India to take action against the driver in .

The Commission advises that before hiring the services of a driver of this type of vehicle, it is the responsibility of Uber India to know whether his behavior is normal and not aggressive. Uber India should give some training to such drivers or make some rules. It is further stated that the complainant or any other person is not aware of the complexity of the contract between Uber and its drivers. The Commission said that whenever a person avails an online service through a well-known or branded company, he is associating with that branded company and not with the partner behind the branded service provider.