Uber Gathers Support From Riders in Mumbai Against Government Taxi Regulations

Following the Government of Maharashtra's draft regulations for the city taxi scheme, Uber has launched a rider petition in order to oppose a few clauses that are detrimental for the drivers, riders and city at large.

Just within a few hours of the petition going live on the Uber website on Wednesday, it received over 30,000 signatures in support of the cause. The petition which has now reached 60,000, aims at garnering 1 lakh signatures from Mumbaikars. It explains the inconvenience that the regulations pose, to riders in the city who choose services like Uber due to their seamless facility and affordability.

It highlights the issues like expensive permits (up to Rs.2.61 lakh), use of more expensive and less fuel efficient cars and pricing restrictions.

The Maharashtra Government has proposed new rules for apps like Uber. These include:

Mandatory minimum fares and other price restrictions

The need to use more expensive, less fuel efficient cars

Prohibitive permit fees --- drivers will need to pay upto Rs 2.61 lakh to get a permit and Uber has to pay Rs 50 lakh per 1000 vehicles to continue operating