Leading ride-hailing firms have praised an Indian policy blueprint on regulating the taxi industry, saying it would offer their app-based services a chance to flourish despite their concerns about price caps. A committee set up by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently published its findings, stating that India needed one regulatory framework for the taxi industry to promote mobility and discourage car ownership. It also said that aggregators, such as Uber, Ola and Meru, should be included under a “fair, uniform and transparent” regulatory framework, along with radio taxis and traditional city taxis. The transport ministry committee, which also sought input from state officials, argued that it should be easy for private vehicles to convert and operate under a commercial permit. It was also supportive of dynamic pricing, within a specified range, to match supply and demand during peak hours while ensuring that consumers had proper protections. It also called for a national policy on so-called “shared mobility” to reduce congestion on urban roads.
Ride-hailing firms welcome liberal Indian taxi policy blueprint
Date posted: Thursday 22 December 2016
Tags: Featured, Indian Economy