If you are booking a cab through Ola, Uber or any other app and the option to pay extra money or tip comes up during the booking process, then it will no longer work. The central government has put a strict ban on the practice of asking for additional payment or tip to get a ride faster while booking a cab. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has strictly instructed all cab aggregators to remove all such features from their mobile apps and digital platforms.
What does the rule say?
According to the ministry’s clarification, showing such messages for additional payment before the start of the journey is a clear violation of the rules of the ‘Motor Vehicle Aggregators Guidelines, 2025’.
The following options are usually visible in apps during booking:
“Advance Tip”
“Choose an Add-on”
“Improve your chances of quicker ride confirmation”
After this new government directive, all these options and messages will have to be removed from the app immediately. According to the government, such options force or influence passengers to pay extra. No feature of the app should make the passenger feel that paying more money will get the cab faster, the driver will accept the ride faster or get better service. As per clause 14.15 of the guidelines, the passenger can only voluntarily tip the driver after the journey is completed. The process of tipping should be completely voluntary. Most importantly, all tips given by the passenger should reach the driver directly and aggregator companies cannot take any deduction from it.
Urgent changes to apps:
The ministry has asked all motor vehicle aggregators to immediately review their digital platforms. If any app has a feature that violates this rule, then it will have to be removed without delay. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has also already objected to this provision. Tipping or extra payment options before booking will be stopped. The app cannot charge extra money for getting a cab quickly, it has been directed.
