Carpooling is now illegal! Can attract fine of up to Rs 10,000, suspension of car registration
Carpooling is now illegal: Carpooling, an easy money-saving hack, is now illegal in Bengaluru, as the activity and use of platforms that facilitate it are both banned.
The Karnataka government said on Saturday that carpooling in Bengaluru is banned and recommended passengers not to use carpooling apps. According to reports, the decision was made after the government received complaints from taxi driver associations.
The Karnataka transport department has said that using whiteboard vehicles for commercial purposes is 'illegal,' and a fine ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 can be levied if anyone is found conducting the carpooling services.
Ride-hailing applications such as BlaBla Car, Quickride, Rideshare, Commute Easy, and Carpool Adda have carpool services for customers who want to share their ride with others for a fee.
Carpooling was once thought to be one of the factors in reducing the number of vehicles on Bengaluru roads during peak hours, and many IT employees use these services to commute to work from home. However, taxi associations have stated that carpooling services are harming their daily earnings and have requested that the government take action against them. The taxi associations and autorickshaw drivers' union recently held a Bengaluru bandh and presented a list of demands to Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy. Another prominent demand of autorickshaw drivers is the ban on bike taxis, which the minister stated will be considered after reviewing the legal possibilities.
Bengaluru has the country's greatest traffic density of any large city. Bengaluru, a city with a population of 11 million people, has about 12.5 million vehicles, which means one vehicle for every person.
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- PTC NEWS