Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Thane awarded Rs. 20,000/- to a Mumbai resident Lawyer against Uber India for causing a delay in providing a cab to Airport.
Finding the services defective rendered by Uber, the Consumer Forum held that Uber was responsible for the same and awarded a sum of Rs. 20,000/- to Advocate Kavita Sharma. The compensation was segregated into two heads; 10,000 toward compensation and 10,000/- towards litigation cost.
It was observed by the Consumer Court that Kavita Sharma had to travel from Mumbai to Chennai in 2018 for a crucial meeting and faced mental agony for the delay in reaching the airport due to the negligence and careless behaviour of the Uber driver. Due to various delays caused on the part of the driver, she reached Airport at 5:23 pm and missed her flight.
After lodging a complaint with Uber India regarding the delay and fare difference, the company refunded, the excess amount of ₹139 after realizing it was their driver’s mistake. Dissatisfied with this amount, Sharma lodged a complaint with the district forum. Uber claimed that it only scheduled transportation services as an aggregator, and was not responsible for any default committed by the drivers. Those drivers were independent third-party contractors, and not Uber employees, which meant that the company could not be held liable, it was argued.
The complainant availed services by using the mobile application and paid consideration (money) to the app (Uber India) for using transportation services and not to the driver. Thus, it granted compensation to Sharma.
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