The state government on Saturday asked app-cab aggregators to draw up a formal agreement with the car owners clearly spelling out the terms and conditions of the contract and start training drivers on how to behave with riders.
"A copy of the agreement between the aggregator and the car owner will have to be submitted to the transport department so that the state government is aware of the terms and conditions," Snehasis Chakraborty, transport minister, told The Telegraph.
Representatives from the app-cab drivers' associations and those from the aggregator companies — known as On Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators (ODTTAs) — met officials of the transport department during the day to take stock of the market realities and dynamics of the trade.
Senior officials of the department said they had received complaints from riders who alleged that drivers often misbehaved.
Late on Friday, police arrested an app-cab driver following a complaint lodged by a woman with NSCBI Airport police station alleging that the accused had misbehaved with her following an argument over the fare.
"It will be the onus of the app-cab aggregators to ensure that drivers are properly trained about how to behave with riders. The companies can't wash their hands off," Chakraborty said.
The demand for proper training was an extension of the state government's earlier decision of asking online cab operators to create public grievance cells where passengers and drivers can lodge their complaints.
Senior officials in the department said they have been receiving complaints about how passengers of online cab services were being charged for the air-conditioning without the AC being switched on. There were also complaints about how the fares were not in accordance with the guidelines that the maximum surge pricing will not be more than 50 per cent of the base fare.
"The companies should come clear on two things — the exact nature of fare split between the driver and the aggregator and on what grounds a driver may be locked out of the app," said Indranil Banerjee of the West Bengal Online Cab Operators Guild.
"The companies should adhere to the terms and conditions laid down by the state government on surge pricing and cap on maximum fares."
Some of the ODTTA representatives present at the meeting said they would discuss the points and then respond.
The government also decided to penalise a few of the aggregators who were yet to register themselves as On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators.
