As per my experience, I have observed deceptive fare tactics and manipulative pricing practices of cab services in Kashmir

Of late, cab services such as Novo & Jugnoo Cabs have emerged as reliable options for convenient travel, in terms of both speed and comfort. However, beneath the veneer of efficiency lurks a looming concern: deceptive fare practices. A million instances (in all likelihood every other time) of these services (not sure whether a service) charging fares above the initial amount are prevalent.
Cab drivers either coax passengers to cancel previously booked rides and concur to their new rates, claiming otherwise charges would be more than the shown fare due to unpredictable road conditions, time constraints or location access, or the fares really shift as we reach the destination and please note it…not by few rupees but by several hundred! How can the service providers assure their clientele if the customers don’t even have the precise fare at hand, making them fall victim to the drivers’ whim and uncertainty? To make matters worse, cab drivers demonstrate selective preferences overplying their vehicles.
“Your street has too many potholes” or “There is waterlogging ahead”, they claim. We are forced to tread our way to a point that is convenient for these drivers because the road wasn’t as polished as a fresh-out-of-the-oven roti or there were a few splashes of water strewn around, whatever the lame excuse may be! Yes, our dear drivers could perform admirably well in Hollywood flicks for their creativity with excuses but whilst rushing for work or travel – we are absolutely in no mood for theatrics at that time due to which we have to concur. Our colonies’ narrow roads, unexpected pits, and waterlogged patches, instead of serving as valid reasons for civic concern, are becoming scapegoats in this grand evasion.
Bowing to the ticking clock, we are reluctantly left with no choice but to agree to their exorbitant demands. The cab drivers play psychological mind games, capitalising on the common vulnerabilities of their riders who obviously are bound by time …have some emergencies.
Why can’t these rides have prefixed rates? Surely technology isn’t failing us here, given these apps can display fair fares. Where’s the miss? Is it just a callous regard for honesty, or do our app companies and drivers have an underground alliance where such shoddy service is just business as usual?
Generally, one would indeed expect occasional attempts to overcharge tourists, however, it’s a bitter irony when people start fleecing their own kin, with whom they share a shared bond of tradition, culture and belonging. Is it not astounding to witness people being deceived in their own homeland by their compatriots?
Why is such arm-twisting tolerated? There’s an urgent need to review and revise this predatory fare structure, so commuters are charged fairly. Greater transparency is the key. Real-time monitoring of fares and surge pricing mechanisms is a start. Also, app-based services need to factor in the reality of the local topography while committing to service and upholding the passenger’s safety and convenience.
Proper checks on arbitrary pricing by app-based taxi services, an audit of driver behaviours and the establishment of comprehensive fare regulation policies are needed.
We, the people of this proud and honourable land, do not deserve to be pawns in a predatory pricing game. It’s high time we urge our local authorities to regulate this digital transformation of traditional cab service, to put in place systems that monitor and maintain fair prices. This unscrupulous game must not continue.
This state of affairs is indeed appalling. It undermines our traditional Kashmiri ethos of ‘Mehman Nawazi’, leaving passengers to suffer the onslaught of financial strain and a questionable commitment to service. The price you first see might suit your budget but being forced to shell out more at the last moment, purely on the driver’s whims and fancies, has its challenges. What if one doesn’t possess enough to satisfy these surprising price inflations?
Cab-hailing apps are a symbol of our march towards progress. Yet, we’re kept hostage by this ‘digi-dilemma’, juggling between falling victim to extortion or the threat of missing an important event.
These worrying instances compel us to raise a fundamental question – Why can’t fares be fixed at a particular rate? Is there a discrepancy that is not being looked at by the respective companies? The absence of a robust regulatory framework only bolsters these companies to brazenly test the elasticity of consumer patience.
Here’s to hoping for change – a change that doesn’t have riders scavenging for the extra cash at the end of each ride. App-based cab services were welcomed as a beacon of modern convenience in Kashmir, promising easy accessibility, reliable service, and affordable pricing. It’s time they live up to these promises.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]

Mahoor Haya Shah