Now Reading: Govt orders Uber, Ola to remove pre-ride tip prompts from apps
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Govt orders Uber, Ola to remove pre-ride tip prompts from apps
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed ride-hailing platforms Uber, Ola and Rapido to remove pre-ride tipping prompts with immediate effect. The ministry said such features violate Clause 14.15 of…
The Story in Brief
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed ride-hailing platforms Uber, Ola and Rapido to remove pre-ride tipping prompts with immediate effect. The ministry said such features violate Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. Prompts such as 'Advance Tip' and 'Improve your chances of quicker ride confirmation' suggested that paying extra could improve driver acceptance or speed up booking confirmation. The Central Consumer Protection Authority had earlier ordered platforms to stop the practice.
Post-ride voluntary tipping remains allowed, and aggregators must pass the full amount to the driver with no deductions. The ministry's August 11 directive asks companies to review and modify their apps without delay.
The Indian Opinion
The tipping prompt was less a gratuity and more a bribe to beat the algorithm. The government is right to stop a practice that let apps imply money buys faster service, turning a voluntary gesture into a de facto surcharge. But the real test is enforcement: will the apps quietly reword prompts or redesign the booking screen so no 'incentive' nudges the passenger? The number to watch is how soon the new interface appears on Play Store and App Store listings for Uber, Ola and Rapido.
Sources (3): news.abplive.com, indiatvnews.com, inc42.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
