Cabbies refusing rides? Cyberabad Police slap Rs 500 penalty on drivers

Cab drivers refusing rides cause hardships to commuters but such violators under the limits of Cyberabad Police Commissionerate here can no longer go scot-free. Cyberabad Traffic Police, known for launching many innovative campaigns to bring some order, have started imposing a fine of Rs 500 for each such violation.

It booked nearly 20 cab drivers during last two days for refusing rides to passengers after confirming their bookings. This has come as some relief to commuters, who often complain of cab drivers canceling the bookings for certain destinations or on some other grounds.

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According to Section 178 of the Motor Vehicles Act, a driver refusing to ply a contract carriage on hire is liable to be fined Rs 500.

Cyberabad Traffic Police tweeted on Wednesday that people can file a complaint to the police on WhatsApp number 9490617346 with vehicle number, date and time, location and a screenshot of the rejection.

This move by the police has been hailed by commuters, who were not happy with cab aggregators for failing to take proper action against the drivers. Many cabbies cancel the bookings if the passenger chooses options other than a cash payment for the ride.

It is a common complain that cab drivers cancel rides to certain destinations in the city. Some of them cancel bookings for Hyderabad International Airport at Shamshabad on the city outskirts. Their argument is that they have to wait for 3-4 hours to get a ride back to the city.

A police officer said such issues should be addressed by the cab aggregators but refusing a ride is an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act.

Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, one of the three police commissionerates in Greater Hyderabad, covers the Information Technology hubs of Hitec City, Gachibowli, Airport and several key clusters around the city.