
A day after the Centre issued notices regarding claims that Apple users were being charged more for rides of comparable distances on the grounds that customers with more expensive smartphones have more purchasing power and can pay more than those with Android phones, taxi aggregating companies Ola and Uber denied complaints on Friday that they were implementing a differential pricing model for their services that were used through Android and Apple phones in India.
Ola stated that they will continue to collaborate with the consumer organisation “to clear any misunderstanding in this regard” after providing clarification to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) regarding the accusations made against them.
An Ola Consumer representative told Reuters, “We have a uniform pricing structure for all of our customers, and we do not differentiate based on the operating system of the user’s mobile for identical rides.”
In a statement, an Uber representative told Reuters that the firm did not base its pricing on the manufacturer of the rider’s phone.
The spokeswoman stated, “We look forward to working with the CCPA to clear up any misunderstanding.”
Apple and Google have yet to address the accusations.
Pralhad Joshi, the union minister of consumer affairs, stated on Thursday that the CCPA had sent warnings to significant taxi aggregators requesting an explanation for user complaints.
The action taken by the department of consumer affairs is to resolve complaints from customers and guarantee that taxi aggregators operate fairly. The pricing system and the variables causing these fare fluctuations must now be made clear by the companies.

The notice, according to the minister, comes after a previous warning against such actions. Joshi described uneven pricing as a “blatant disregard” of consumer rights and a “unfair trade practice” last month.
One of the biggest cab aggregation business areas outside of the US and Canada is India, where Uber, SoftBank-backed Ola, Rapido, and the all-electric ride-hailing service BluSmart are engaged in a vigorous battle for market share.