 | ||
Call Taxis are taxi services in India in several cities in India.
Contents
In some cities, they operate under a regular taxi permit, while in some cities, they are treated as tourist vehicles for hire. They often offer services at all times of the day.
Call Taxi services are not officially recognised by the Motor Vehicles Act.
They are preferred as they are considered safer, more convenient than ordinary taxis or autorickshaws, and reliable.
In Mumbai, ordinary taxicabs can be booked over the internet or with a phone. In Coimbatore, a service was launched where autorickshaws can be booked over the phone.
History
Call taxis first appeared in Chennai and were described as 'no nonsense' in comparison to regular taxicabs. In Bangalore, Call taxis gained prominence after the opening of the Information Technology sectors.
After 2013, on demand service Uber started operations in India. Uber’s ranks have been growing steadily over the past few years. As the company has gained in popularity, more and more drivers are applying to drive for Uber, and driver sign ups have soared.
Incidents
In 2013, during a strike in Bangalore, bus services and auto rickshaws were suspended. Private cab companies ran cabs at the lower autorickshaw fares during the period.
In 2014, after a call auto service launched in Coimbatore, several autorickshaws belonging to the fleet were attacked by regular autorcikshaw drivers in retaliation to lower fares and the drivers were hospitalised.