Pune: Passengers arriving at Pune airport have alleged that they are being overcharged by drivers of the newly launched Bharat Taxi service, with parking fees tacked onto the in-app fare.Entrepreneur and frequent flyer Pranav Pawar experienced this first-hand when he arrived from Delhi in the early hours of Tuesday and booked a Bharat Taxi cab to Narayan Peth. “The total fare was Rs 451. But when I reached my destination, the cabby asked me for an additional Rs 125,” Pawar said.The driver’s explanation for this extra charge was that Bharat Taxis were not allowed inside AeroMall — Pawar was expected to pay the parking charges, something he felt should have been communicated upfront. “I was confused, but agreed to pay as it was around 1 am and I did not want to argue,” Pawar said. “Why should passengers pay parking charges? They are fleecing customers — Bharat Taxi is new and has promised to be fair, but my experience was the opposite.”Bharat Taxi, billed as India’s first cooperative-led, driver-owned aggregator, is operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, which signed an agreement in February with Airports Authority of India to operate at major airports. The service launched in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad early in August and began controlled operations at the airport by mid-August, with cabs from bays used by Ola, Uber and Rapido.Another passenger said he cancelled a Bharat Taxi ride upon learning about the extra charge. “The fares under Bharat Taxi are already higher than other apps. Why should passengers pay separately for the cab’s parking?”However, Mohit Mitra, the city head of Bharat Taxi, said the parking charge at AeroMall was included in the fare. “We have set the parking fee at Rs 130 … drivers should not ask for any additional money. We will investigate why the additional amount was charged,” he said.He added the company was working towards expanding its driver base in Pune to help expand their airport services — it is planning a dedicated kiosk at the mall, but it was at least two months from becoming operational.
