A Hyderabad resident has voiced serious concerns about what he describes as outrageous pricing for early morning airport cab rides. The traveler recounted his experience on the social media platform Reddit, where he detailed how cab drivers allegedly demanded sums ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹6,000 for a single trip to the airport. The man had an early morning flight and booked a cab for 4:00 AM. Upon informing the driver that the destination was the airport, he was met with a request for extra payment, citing potential route issues and delays.
When the user insisted on paying the fare shown on the app, the driver allegedly quoted ₹5,000. His dismay continued as he found that other cab drivers he contacted quoted similar exorbitant prices. Faced with this situation, the user had to rely on a friend for a ride to the airport. Despite the traffic, his friend managed to drop him off promptly.
He took to Reddit to ask if others had encountered similar issues or if this was a coordinated attempt by drivers to capitalize on passengers’ time constraints and lack of immediate alternatives. The post, titled “Anyone else facing crazy cab prices to Hyderabad airport early in the morning?”, quickly gained traction, with many users sharing their own frustrating experiences.
Community Outcry and Shared Frustrations
The Reddit thread quickly became a platform for shared outrage. One user commented, “Greed, nothing else. Five thousand is too too much.” Another advised, “This is a scam. I have encountered this discussion multiple times. Do not waste your time arguing with them. Cancel and proceed to book another ride.”
Some users pointed out that early morning hours typically have less traffic, making the drivers’ excuses about route issues invalid. Suggestions for alternative booking services, such as MMT’s airport cab booking, were also shared as potential solutions.
A prevalent theory among the commenters was that drivers might be colluding through group chats to inflate prices for airport-bound passengers, believing they can extort more money due to the urgency of catching a flight. The overall sentiment expressed was that such practices are unacceptable and require attention.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media and has not been independently verified by Hindustan Times.)