BluSmart introduces rush pricing for cabs, breaking its zero-surge promise
BluSmart, an electric vehicle ride-hailing service, has implemented a new pricing structure that includes surge pricing, despite earlier promises of zero cancellations and no surge pricing. The updated structure features Rush hours and Relaxed hours, with separate time slots for city rides and airport rides. Users took to X to express their disappointment over the company's reversal of its no-surge pricing policy, which set it apart from competitors like Ola and Uber.
Customers are miffed
Details of the new pricing structure
The new pricing structure for BluSmart divides time slots into Rush hours and Relaxed hours. For city rides, Rush hour is from 8:30am to 10:30am and 5:30pm to 8:00pm on weekdays. Meanwhile, airport rush hours are from 3:30-6:30am and 9:00pm to 1:00am, applicable every day. During these specific hours, fares will slightly increase due to heavier traffic and longer trip durations. All other hours are considered relaxed hours with regular or reduced rates.
Co-founder Anmol Singh Jaggi's response to criticism
In response to the backlash on X, BluSmart Co-founder Anmol Singh Jaggi defended the new pricing structure. He said, "Surge price is unpredictable, our pricing is just a true and transparent reflection of effort by driver partners during rush hours. Surge is non-transparent & arbitrary, what @BluSmartIndia has done is to make it clear & upfront on what the pricing would be." An old post from Jaggi promising zero surges in pricing has resurfaced, adding fuel to the criticism.
BluSmart's initial stance on surge pricing
In November 2023, Punit Goyal, Co-founder of BluSmart, discussed their plan to compete with Uber and Ola by addressing surge pricing. He stated, "A challenge that we got to know from the consumer was surge pricing... So, we thought if we launched industry-first features of zero ride denials and zero surge pricing, that would be absolutely game changing, right. Nobody has done that globally. We launched with this idea." The recent change in pricing structure contradicts their earlier stance.
