Uber says limited licences curb growth in Kolkata

Kolkata, Aug 25 (PTI) Taxi-hailing aggregator Uber todaysaid the West Bengal transport department has been issuing alimited number of commercial licences, leading to a lessernumber of cars joining its platform in the state capital. "Not many cars are joining the Uber platform in Kolkatafor the last six months. The state transport department hasbeen issuing commercial licences in a restricted manner whichhas been the cause," Ashwin Dias, GM (east) of Uber India,told PTI. Dias said that Uber had already obtained the ODTTA(On Demand Technology Transportation Aggregators) permit fromthe transport department, adding that cars willing to join theplatform would have to first obtain the commercial licence. "Commercial licences are not being given like before.Since the last six months, there has been a substantial fallin the number of cars joining Uber," he said. He said that Uber was in talks with the transportdepartment, adding that ensuing festival season was a majorcause of worry when the demand for such hailing servicesincreases. Uber, which started operations in Kolkata two years back,had helped around 10,000 individuals to generate incomeby joining the platform. "We also have many partners who had availed of the stategovernment’s ‘Gatidhara’ scheme where a subsidy of Rs 1 lakhwas been given for purchasing a vehicle," Dias said. "In Kolkata, we will like to have more cars. DuringPujas, we are expecting a lot of cars, but we are not seeingthe visibility in the number of cars," he said. Dias said the target was to open 20,000 more sucheconomic opportunities in the next two years subject to thestate government relaxes the restriction in the issue oflicences. On the contentious issue of surge pricing, he said, "Ourintention is to minimise surges. It is a practice which isfollowed by Uber worldwide." "We are also planning to encourage women to join theUber platform as partners," he said. PTI dc SUSMKJ