About a month ago, Pune Airport’s Aeromall rolled out a PIN-generated system for booking app-based cabs like Uber. The aim of this new system is to help passengers book cabs easily and seamlessly. However, it looks like the system has failed to impress the passengers. People are complaining about how the new system is making them wait longer and even pay much higher fares.
Aeromall’s Uber Booking System At Pune Airport Forces Passengers To Wait Longer
A month ago, Aeromall, the Airport Authority of India (AAI), and Uber launched a joint venture at Pune Airport that allows passengers to book cabs easily with a PIN-generated system. With this system, the authorities believe that they will be able to provide passengers with a seamless process of booking a cab at the airport. As per The Indian Express report, through this new system, passengers at the Pune Airport can generate a four-digit PIN and avail of the first available cab. This system works on a first-come-first-served basis.
However, it looks like passengers aren’t too impressed with this new system to book Uber at the Pune Airport. The Indian Express reported that passengers are facing trouble while booking cabs with this system. They have to wait longer and even pay a higher fare to get the cab. According to one of the passengers, he booked a cab and waited for it at the pickup zone of the airport. However, after several minutes of waiting, the cab cancelled his booking. He was not given a reason for this cancellation either. When he reached out to Uber’s customer service, they asked him to upgrade to a more expensive, premier cab.
@Uber_India premier cabs are available easily at Pune airport. But Go cabs are not available. Also the employees at Uber counter keep pushing to book premier cabs from their own accounts..
1/— keep_going (@acalm_mind99) August 21, 2024
And that’s not just one instance. X user, @acalm_mind99, also shared how the cost-efficient ‘UberGo’ cabs are not available at the Pune Airport. Instead, the Uber counter there “keeps pushing to book premier cabs”.
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What The Authorities Have To Say About This
Seeing a pattern of similar issues faced by the general public, The Indian Express reached out to Y S Rajput, Vice President, Aeromall. While reacting to passengers’ complaints, he said that this new system at the Pune Airport is an “alternate option” for the passengers and they don’t have to compulsorily use it.
He believes that the initiative is an additional option for the passengers and works for the benefit of both passengers and drivers. He then went on to explain that there is no shortage of UberGo cabs at the Pune Airport. According to him, when a customer tries to book a cab, the offer first goes to the driver with good points. This usually ends up favouring Uber’s premier segment cabs. He also mentioned that the current success rate of this new cab booking system at Pune Airport is about 30%.
Have you faced a similar issue to a cab price surge at the airport? Let us know in the comments!
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