Carpooling or ride-sharing is getting encouraged by the governments and other agencies as it not only saves petrol but also helps in controlling pollution and traffic on roads.
However, recently a Hyundai i20 car owner whose car was registered in Telangana was fined by Bengaluru cops and the reason is something which every carpool app user should know. The car owner picked up commuters using carpool app for travelling from Bengaluru to Hyderabad and charged them Rs. 1600. But the commuters were undercover police officers and they not only seized the car but also charged the car owner for using carpool for earning profit illegally.
The question that came in minds of people was that the same Bengaluru police was encouraging carpooling on social media networks and now it is punishing a person for the same.
Car pooling is the best way to reduce traffic congestion at Whitefield and Bellandur. Next month we commencing a car pooling campaign.
— Joint CP, Traffic, Bengaluru (@Jointcptraffic) August 26, 2015
BlaBlaCars responded on the matter and clarified that their app works as per the law and carpooling is also legal until and unless the car owner or driver doesn’t try to make profit by carpooling. It is a concept that is based on sharing the cost of the ride and not making profits.
Here is what BlaBlaCars tweeted,
“Ride sharing is legal as long as it remains cost-sharing and you are not making profit. Our service has been designed to allow personal car owners to share their transport costs, in accordance with regulation.”
https://twitter.com/BlaBlaCar/status/1030113603259719680
The Motor Vehicle Act 1988 also doesn’t disallow carpooling and talks about “Contract Carriage and Public Service Vehicles” as per which a private car owner may give lift to a person and charge an amount in exchange of that; however, the amount should be only for sharing the cost of the ride and not for making profit.
Be careful while carpooling next time!
