A district consumer court found Uber India in violation of the terms of service and ordered the company to compensate a Dombivli resident for missing her flight. The commuter became eligible to receive Rs. 20000 from Uber India - Rs 10,000 for mental anguish and Rs 10,000 for litigation. She had been late for her departure to Chennai due to the Uber cab driver's several delays while taking her there.
On June 12, 2018, at 5:50 p.m., attorney and complainant Kavita Sharma was scheduled to fly from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to Chennai. The airport, which is around 36 kilometres from her home, was the destination of her 3.29 p.m. Uber cab booking. Even though she was given a car, the driver didn't pick her up until after 14 minutes had passed and several calls had been made. According to the complainant, the driver was on the call even after reaching the destination and began the journey only after finishing it.
The driver then wasted about 15-20 minutes by driving the cab to a neighbouring CNG pump after taking a wrong turn. The estimated time shown by the app was 5 p.m. to reach the destination. At 5.23 p.m., he reached the complainant at the airport, and by that point, she had already missed her departure. She would have to pay for and board the following flight. Additionally, the projected rate of the cab at the time of booking was Rs 563, whereas the price charged to the complainant was Rs 703.
The complainant claimed that the cab driver's carelessness and unethical behaviour were the only reasons why she missed her ride. Uber repaid Rs 139, the difference between the estimated and true rate, after receiving a Twitter complaint. Although, after sending a formal notice to the company and receiving an answer that was "of little help," she filed a lawsuit with the Thane Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Despite Uber's assertions that they merely function as an intermediary to match passengers and drivers, a consumer commission inquiry revealed that Uber was ultimately in charge of running the application, processing payments, and offering services. As a result, Uber India was mandated to compensate Kavita for Rs 20,000. We surely hope this doesn't set a precedent for thousands of such claims from passengers who undergo the cab aggregator's highhandedness on a routine basis.
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