A new uniform fare for all cabs in Karnataka city including those operating using Ola and Uber, and traditional city taxis

The Karnataka state government has instituted a new standard tariff for all taxis in the city, including traditional city taxis and those that use aggregator platforms like Ola and Uber. Flexible pricing has been replaced with a straightforward three-slab structure based on the worth of the automobile under the new fare system. 

In essence, surge pricing is prohibited by the government's notice from this past Saturday, which clearly forbids taxi aggregators from collecting any fees over and above the set amount. According to the letter, any unauthorised charges are absolutely forbidden and that tariffs will only be determined using the government's established rates.

According to the updated pricing system, cars worth up to ₹10 lakh can go up to four kilometres for as little as ₹100, after which each subsequent km would cost ₹24. For cars costing between ₹10 lakh and ₹15 lakh, the first four-kilometer charge is ₹115, and thereafter, each additional kilometre is ₹28. For cars costing more than ₹15 lakh, the minimum charge for the first four kilometres is ₹130, and each further kilometre is ₹32.

Additionally, the decision stipulates that waiting fees are waived for the first five minutes and then ₹1 per minute after that. Passengers will be charged a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) by app-based aggregators, and riders may also be charged tolls. The rates for nighttime travel are subject to a 10% increase and are valid from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.

The previous pricing structure for app-based taxis was changed in 2021 and divided into four slabs according to the car's worth. In Bengaluru, minimum charges for non-app-based city taxis varied according to whether or not they had air conditioning.