Ahmedabad: Thursday was the wrong day to be outdoors. As the skies pelted Amdavadis with heavy rain, commuting became a nightmare for those depending on app-based cab rides. If fares skyrocketed by up to six times, passengers willing to pay the inflated fares struggled to find drivers willing to accept bookings.Fares surged due to high demand and fewer drivers. A cab ride from Ghatlodia to Kalupur railway station, which normally costs between Rs 250 and Rs 300, was quoted at more than Rs 1,500 during peak evening hours. The fare for a ride from Bopal to Navrangpura, usually around Rs 275, crossed Rs 800. Commuting from Prernatirth to Nehru Bridge meant shelling out Rs 500, when it normally costs Rs 175.Hiren Patel had a tough time reaching home in Ghuma from his office in Nehrunagar. “Apps quoted over Rs 600 for the 10 km journey that typically costs Rs 180 to Rs 200. Even after agreeing to pay the high fare, finding a vehicle was difficult as drivers kept cancelling or were unavailable,” he said.Bopal resident Kiran Shah too shared his harrowing experience. He wanted to get home from Navrangpura. “The app initially showed a fare of Rs 435, but after accepting the booking, one driver demanded Rs 1,500, while another asked for Rs 2,000. I finally got one after a two-hour wait, and paid Rs 550 for a trip that normally costs me Rs 275,” he said.Drivers said they too were grappling with the heavy rain. Ratnesh Yadav, who drives for Uber, said waterlogged streets caused significant damage and delays. “My car got stuck in a roadside pit submerged under rainwater. I had to call for a crane to pull it out before I could resume work. I spent nearly Rs 2,000 on the recovery,” he said.
