“The App shall include a feature to enable Clause 15.6, wherein a passenger may choose, where available, a driver of the same gender, including an option for female passengers to select a female driver for undertaking a journey,” it said in the fresh amendments to the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, issued on Thursday.
Besides, it has asked the aggregators to allow for voluntary tipping for the driver by the passenger after the completion of the journey.
“The provision should not be available at the time of booking, before the commencement of the journey or during the journey,” it said.
“The entire tip amount shall be credited to the driver without any deduction by the aggregator,” it said, adding no tipping feature or mechanism shall be provided in the App that is misleading, manipulative, or otherwise in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The road ministry had on July 1 notified the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025 paved way for dynamic pricing by allowing aggregators to charge 50% lower than the state notified base fares and capping the maximum surge pricing at twice the base fare for peak hours.
Further, the guidelines provide for suspension and cancellation of aggregator license on several grounds of violation including unjustified fare or dynamic fare charged to the passengers.The guidelines also ensure that no passenger is charged for dead mileage, except when the distance for availing the ride is less than three (3) kilometres, and the fare is charged only from the point of origin to the destination.
The idea is to ensure the safety and security of the passenger as well as the welfare of the driver.
