Ola fined Rs 10 lakh for pre-ride tipping feature

New Delhi: Ride-hailing platform Ola has been slapped with Rs 10 lakh fine by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for its pre-ride tipping feature.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, food and public distribution stated in a release on November 13, Friday, that ANI Technologies Private Limited, which operates the Ola app, has been directed to immediately discontinue the practice. The order was deemed as an unfair trade practice and passed by the CCPA chief commissioner Nidhi Khare and commissioner Anupam Mishra, following an examination of the platform's pre-ride 'tip' and 'add-on' features. Messages on the app such as "Adding a tip might help increase the chances of getting a ride faster" and "Tip now to boost the

chances of |getting a ride sooner" are creating a false impression that an increase in the payment amount could speed up the ride confirmation.

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The Hans India