Surge & Fair Pricing Disclosure

Effective Date: 21 June 2026 Last Updated: 21 June 2026 Version: 1.0

When and how surge pricing applies, the legal cap, and how we keep ride fares fair. Required by Motor Vehicles Aggregator Guidelines, 2020 §10(2).

#1. What is surge pricing?

A demand-based multiplier applied to the base fare during high-demand hours, weather events, traffic spikes, or peak load. Surge balances supply (drivers available) with demand (people requesting rides) so that you can still book a ride when you need one — at a transparent, capped premium.

#2. The cap (Indian law)

We never exceed this cap. Some city governments impose stricter caps — we follow the stricter one.

#3. Minimum fare during low demand

During low demand the aggregator may charge no less than 50% of the base fare per the same Guidelines. We always charge at least this floor to keep drivers viable.

#4. Where surge is displayed

• Before booking. The "Get fare" screen shows the exact multiplier (e.g., 1.3×) and the estimated final fare.
• In the receipt. Post-trip receipt breaks out base, distance, time, surge, taxes, tolls, parking — line by line.
• In your profile under Past Rides → [Trip] → Fare details.

#5. What triggers surge

• Demand exceeds supply at the moment of booking in that area.
• Weather (heavy rain, fog, extreme heat / cold) reduces driver availability.
• Time of day (peak commute, late-night).
• Special events (concerts, sports, festivals, public-holiday travel).
• Traffic disruption (road closure, accident reducing routes).

#6. What surge does NOT do

• Surge does not affect waiting charges, toll, parking, or taxes.
• Surge does not silently re-price during your trip — the multiplier you saw at booking is locked.
• Surge is never applied retroactively to a completed trip.

#7. Who decides the multiplier

An automated system using real-time supply / demand data per zone. The multiplier is updated every few minutes per zone and is published transparently — you can verify by re-quoting the same trip a few minutes apart.

#8. Driver share

Drivers receive a defined share of the surge component (specified in the partner agreement), so the system incentivises more drivers to come online in high-demand zones.

#9. Disputes

Believe the surge was wrongly applied?

Past Rides → [Trip] → Report → Fare issue. We audit:

• The surge multiplier that was in effect at the booking timestamp.
• Whether you accepted it (the screen logs your tap).
• Whether the trip distance matched the shortest reasonable route.

Outcome:

• If we find the surge was correctly applied + disclosed: no refund.
• If we find an error: refund of the difference to your wallet.
• Response within 48 hours.

#10. Pricing transparency dashboard

Aggregate surge transparency is published at https://gatimitra.com/transparency:

• Average surge by city, by day-of-week, by hour.
• Peak surge events.
• Driver supply trends.

This helps you plan and helps regulators monitor compliance.

#11. Food & parcel pricing

There is no surge on food itself — only the delivery fee adjusts for weather and demand, with the same 1.5× cap.

#12. Fair pricing principles

1. Disclosed upfront. No hidden line items.
2. Capped. Surge ≤ 1.5× base. Delivery surcharges follow the same logic.
3. Verifiable. Receipt breaks down every component.
4. Disputable. 24-hour window to raise a fare issue.
5. Refundable. If our system errs, we refund.

#13. Promotions & cashback

Discounts, promotional fares, and cashback are applied after the surge calculation. We never show a "discounted" price that's actually the regular price.

#14. Statutory rights

This Disclosure is in addition to your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, the Motor Vehicles Act, and the Aggregator Guidelines.

#15. Updates

Material changes trigger an in-app notice. Editorial changes silent.

#16. Contact

Owner: Pricing & Compliance