Posing as a rider, a Transport Department officer from New Avadi Road booked a seat to Nellore in a private car using a ride-sharing application recently. When the car, with a Gujarat registration number, arrived to pick him up, the driver was nabbed.
This was part of a crackdown by the Transport Department on private car owners who ferry passengers to other districts and States using ride-sharing apps, as it is in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Using ride-sharing applications, people who wish to travel within the city or to other districts or States can connect with private car owners who are going to the same destination. A fee, which is lesser than the tourist taxi or even call-taxi aggregators, has to be paid to the owner of the car.
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According to the Transport Department officials, this is illegal. Using own vehicle for public transport is a violation of Section 192 A of Motor Vehicle Act (using vehicle without permit). “Only yellow board taxis can carry passengers by charging money. Hence if catch violators, the vehicle will be seized and a fine amount upto ₹5,000 can be slapped on the car owner,” said a Regional Transport Officer.
The RTOs have been asked to conduct checks across the city and nab people who flout such norms. Over the past few days alone eight such cars have been seized. “We book rides posing as passengers and nab the car owners,” explained an official.
The most common route in which the ride-sharing is done is between Bengaluru and Chennai.
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Dangers involved
Though people can car pool and take their friends along, they cannot monetise the facility using a private car.
“If there is an accident, the victims or injured will not get compensation as there is no third-party insurance for private cars unlike those available for yellow board vehicles,” said an official from the Transport Department.