Hyderabad: Crackdown on app-based aggregators plying outstation cabs in city sought

Hyderabad: The Road Transport Authority (RTA) officials have been acting tough on vehicles from the other States operating in the city, especially cabs plying on city roads. The drivers are urging the government and transport department to take action even on the app-based aggregator companies who are attaching the other States’ vehicles and plying in the city with the app.

It has been observed that several hundreds of cabs are seen operating with app aggregators including Ola, Uber, IT companies and other taxi services with the license plates of other States, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. They have been running in the city without the mandatory No Objection Certificate, State tax, permits and other related documents. However, to curb this, the transport department initiated special checks and imposed penalties against them.

As per rules, any vehicle from other States running in Telangana for more than 30 days will have to pay tax to the State. “Those vehicles which are operating in the State for a few days, we have no objection. But once the period exceeds one month, they have to pay the tax,” said a senior officer at the Transport department. During the checks, such vehicle owners are penalised for overstaying and evading the tax.

On the condition of anonymity, a driver said that the government must take action against the app-based aggregator companies, who are attaching the other State vehicles with apps and giving access to drivers to operate within the State or city, which is against the Transport Act. “To earn money, we drivers are attaching our vehicles with aggregator companies, and we the driver cum owners are being penalized. However, daily hundreds of other State vehicles are being attached by the company on roadsides,” said a driver.

He said, “Daily several dozens of vehicles are being attached with the app aggregators including two-wheelers and four-wheelers by an aggregator vendor at the roadside. This operation by the app aggregators must be stopped and has to be done officially at their office premises with thorough enquiry of vehicles,” informed the driver.

Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union State president Shaik Salauddin expressed gratitude to the transport department for taking up the drive to curb the operation of other State vehicles in the city. He said that on the continued representation by the union, the department initiated special checks.

However, Salauddin said the app aggregators like Ola, Uber and other companies are attaching the vehicles with their app on roadsides at a temporary tent through a vendor, as the Ola and other companies do not have permanent offices in Hyderabad. These vendors to complete their daily targets are attaching vehicles, evading the rules and not verifying the vehicles. Government and transport must instruct these companies to follow the transport rules and acts, said Salauddin.