Uber, the taxi-hailing app is all geared up to try a peer-to-peer business model in the country. Initially, the state of Punjab has been chosen for the ridesharing service. As a part of the pilot project, the private car owners in that state can register on the Uber app and they can ferry passengers. On Thursday, the company entered into a memorandum with the Government of Punjab in order to develop as well as implement the peer-to-peer ridesharing program.
As per Amit Jain, the President of Uber India, the agreement will definitely be of help to the customers. Also, the state will enjoy benefits related to ridesharing and increasing demand and digital economy.
Uber India is in the aim to create more than 45,000 entrepreneurship chances in Punjab in a period of five years via the business. Uber is present in 22 cities in the country used to register only the commercial license car owners as the drivers on its platforms.
The private car owners signing up on the platform to become drivers will be subject to background check and verification as the commercial drivers. The taxi hailing services of Uber was launched in Chandigarh in Punjab in August last year. As of now, there is no mention of the specific date of start of this new pilot project.
Jaspal Singh, the Co-Founder at Valoriser Consultants, a transport advisory firm, if any state wants to set up a peer-to-peer ridesharing policy, it is allowed as per the Indian laws. Even Singapore has started a policy that lets private car owners ferry a particular number trips on a weekly basis at half the rates of the commercial taxis.
As per the Indian Central Motor Vehicles Act, the private car owners and driving license owners are not allowed to ferry passengers for a specific fee. Though the states are supporting free carpooling, ridesharing is not allowed.
