Uber and Ola get 15 day grace period to withdraw POOL option from app. Are the commuters happy at this decision?

The way people commute in Indian cities has been redefined ever since the app-based aggregators like Uber and Ola made its entry in India. However, most state governments, which didn’t plan to revamp the transportation ecosystem in Indian metros, where buses are overcrowded and autorickshaws hardly ply by meter, couldn’t digest the convenience the public was enjoying. Result – Karnataka government decided to ban the pool service offered by cab aggregators.

Car pool is an amazing scope to cut down carbon footprint and save on pocket. It’s a cab service within these cab aggregators, where multiple passengers get on a same cab going towards the same locality. Many a times, the prices are 30-50% less than the cab fare.

After banning cab pool service in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has now granted a 15-day extension to mobile-based cab aggregators to comply with rules regarding ride-sharing services.
During the period, the aggregators are expected to modify their software in order to withdraw UberPool and OlaShare options.

However, during the same period, they are at liberty to appeal against the ban on ride-sharing services (for which they have to seek a modification of the contract carriage permit, under the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules).

Also, in the 15-day period, aggregators are free to continue ride-sharing services.

"We will stop enforcement for the next 15 days.During this period, the aggregators have agreed to make necessary changes in their mobile apps. They can also seek to amend the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rule,” the Transport commissioner MK Aiyappa told The Economic Times.

However, before the transport department decided to grant this grace period, the state police has seized around 30 cabs that were continuing with ride-sharing services posing as passengers.