NEW DELHI: The Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a notice to the ride-sharing platforms Ola and Uber regarding suspected price discrepancies for similar cab rides on mobile operating systems—Android and iOS, as announced by consumer affairs minister Prahlad Joshi on Thursday.
“Following previous observations of evident differential pricing influenced by the type of mobile devices (iPhones/Android) used, the Department of Consumer Affairs, through the CCPA, has sent notices to the leading cab aggregators Ola and Uber, requesting their feedback,” the minister stated in a post on X.
This action was prompted by numerous complaints from commuters about the inconsistent cab fares displayed simultaneously on Android devices as compared to iPhones for identical journeys. A previous investigation by The Times of India in December revealed that fares shown on iOS were higher than those on Android.
Experts suggest that such discrepancies may arise from how ride-hailing applications access hardware information, which users must allow during the app installation.
