Consumer Court orders Uber to pay Rs 20,000 for poor service

Uber India found guilty of failing to provide good service by a consumer court. The company has been asked to pay Rs 20,000 to the rider who missed her flight.

Mumbai:A consumer court in Mumbai has held Uber India guilty for failing to provide good service to a rider and has ordered to pay Rs 20,000 to the complainant who missed her flight due to the delay caused by the cab service. The court has asked Uber to pay the rider an amount of Rs 10,000 for mental agony and Rs 10,000 as litigation costs.

Kavita Sharma, an advocate, was to take a flight to Chennai on June 12, 2018. The airport was around 36km away from her residence, so she booked a ride from Uber to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. After booking, the driver reached the location after 14 minutes and picked her up only after repeated calls.

According to the complainant, even after arriving, the driver was busy talking on the phone and started the trip only after ending his conversation. Despite all the delay, the driver then took a detour and bought CNG for the car, delaying her by a further 15 to 20 minutes.

He then dropped the complainant at the Airport, but by that time, she had missed her flight. Also, the amount billed to the complainant was Rs 703, while the estimated fare, at the time of booking was Rs 563.

When she complained about the incident to Uber, the company just initiated a refund of Rs 139, the difference between the actual and final fare of the trip. Sharma also sent a legal notice to the company but was unanswered.

It was claimed on behalf of Uber that, 'If the driver of Uber's taxi made this mistake, Uber cannot be held responsible for the driver's mistake. 'However, the consumer court fined them for failing to provide good service to passengers as they violated the rules.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Mumbai-based advocate Nitin Satpute said, "The company is responsible because the money paid goes to the company and not the driver. She was late because the company could not provide services as promised. The driver was not on time and did not comply with the urgency of the situation."