Rs 415 For 6 KM?! Bengaluru Man's Viral Cab Fare Rant Sparks Commuter Outrage - Is Wednesday The New WFH Day?

A Bengaluru commuter's viral post on Rs 415 cab fares for 6 km and unaccepted rides sparks debate on the city's chaotic Wednesday traffic.

Traffic jam at the Airport Road (PHOTO: IANS)

A Bengaluru commuter's frustrated social media post outlining an morning of record-breaking cab bills and unwelcome rides has gone viral, sparking a mass debate among residents struggling with the city's now-unpredictable midweek traffic.

The post, tongue-in-cheekily titled "Is Wednesday officially the day you skip work from office?", captures a building perception that Wednesday is now the new peak nightmare for India's tech hub commuters.

In the recently viral Reddit post, the exasperated commuter described a well over an hour-long ordeal to hail a cab on a Wednesday morning. Ride requests were repeatedly unaccepted despite continuous efforts, and surge pricing drove the price of a 6-kilometer ride to an "outrageous" Rs 415.

"I know the brackets when to leave home to avoid all this drama and I'm well within my bracket," the user lamented, questioning if leaving even earlier, perhaps at 7 AM or 6 AM, would become necessary. The commuter also expressed disbelief that autos, non-AC, and AC cabs were all quoting similar inflated fares while still refusing rides, asking, "What do these guys want? A pot of gold?"

The entry ended on a note of uncertainty by the commuter regarding the chaos brewing outside, adding that the usual 6 km commute would only take 20 minutes. 

Reddit Responds: Shared Frustrations And Theories

The virtual outcry was quick, with many Redditors citing the experience and recounting their own strange Wednesday morning commute.

"Roads are literally bonkers this morning," posted one, going on to say, "I walked out at 6:40 am and even then it was rush hour madness. Part of it is caused by cows. So many of them. And they won't move, no use beeping."

Another user provided a possible explanation of volatile surge pricing: "Apps look at how many attempts they get for new bookings in an area. The more you try, the higher the price goes. One trick I have discovered, make it try booking and time out, and search again. Sometimes the fare decreases."

An imminent bus strike was also rumored as another cause of the spike, pushing more riders onto ride-hailing platforms. When public transport was offered as a substitute, the original poster replied, "People are legit falling off the bus, it's that overcrowded," emphasising the bad shape of alternatives.

The post also served as a forum for critics of those who previously suggested abandoning individual cars in favor of app convenience. "Wonder which hole the paid ride-share apologists went into," one commenter jeered. "Traffic's been mind-numbingly terrible lately, it's intolerable now."

The repetitive woes of Bengaluru's traffic and public transport have been a recurring narrative, with recent news signalling a trend of tech employees heading back to work because of fears of being laid off, adding more to congestion, particularly on Wednesdays. There have also been recent news reports and discussions of a continuing bus strike in Karnataka and higher auto fares in Bengaluru, which coincide with the commuter's reported problems.