- Heavy monsoon rains caused citywide disruption, raising app-cab fares.
- Commuters paid tripled fares, endured significantly longer travel times.
- Metro services briefly affected; apps explained demand-based surge pricing.
The season’s first major spell of monsoon rain threw daily life out of gear in Kolkata on Friday, leaving office-goers grappling with waterlogged roads, severe traffic congestion and sharply higher app-based cab fares.
Commuters across the city reported that fares on ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Ola, Rapido, InDrive and Yatri Sathi had nearly tripled as heavy rain battered the city through the morning.
With demand for rides surging and the availability of vehicles appearing to shrink, many passengers were forced to either wait for extended periods or pay significantly higher fares to reach their destinations.
Commuters Complain Of Steep Fare Hikes
Many commuters said they encountered unexpected fare increases amid the weather disruption.
“I booked a bike ride from my office. I came home completely soaked in the rain. Then the rider asked me to pay Rs 100 instead of Rs 70 because he had brought me home while getting wet. My usual commute to the office in Kasba costs only Rs 22,” said Mrinmoy Sarkar, a resident of Garia.
Others said they spent considerable time waiting for fares to fall, but prices remained elevated.
“I waited for an hour for the fares to go down, but it kept showing Rs 530-something to Central Kolkata on Uber. Usually, it is Rs 300 from Behala. Rapido showed more than Rs 700,” said Shreya Dutta, a sales professional and resident of Behala.
Travel Time Soars As Roads Remain Waterlogged
For several commuters, the disruption went beyond higher fares and extended into significantly longer travel times.
“It took me about 4.5 hours from Nayabad to New Town today. Normally, it takes 45 to 50 minutes. Usually, the fare on InDrive is Rs 370-490; today, I paid Rs 580 after paying Rs 10 extra. At Sector V, the cab driver stopped the car and said he would not go any further if there was more water,” said Pansy Saha, a professional.
Metro Services Briefly Affected
The rain-hit commute was further complicated by a disruption on Kolkata Metro’s Blue Line.
According to Metro Railway, smoke was noticed emanating from a coach of an Up train at Rabindra Sarobar station at 10.37 am.
“As a safety precautionary measure, all the passengers were deboarded for internal examination of the rake at our works,” a Metro Railway spokesperson said.
Services were briefly affected while officials carried out safety checks on the train.
Why App Cab Fares Increased
According to Ola, peak pricing is implemented when demand for cabs exceeds the number of available vehicles in a particular area. The company states that factors such as office rush hours, heavy rainfall, holidays and local events can lead to higher fares.
The company notes that “peak pricing is not a fixed charge and varies depending on the demand for cabs.”
Uber follows a similar system known as surge pricing. According to the platform, “bad weather, rush hour, and special events, for instance, may cause unusually large numbers of people to want to request a ride with Uber all at the same time.”
The company also states that users are informed when surge pricing is in effect and can choose whether to pay the higher fare or wait for rates to decline.
Responses Awaited From Ride-Hailing Platforms
My Kolkata said it had reached out to Uber and Rapido for comment. Responses from both companies were awaited.
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