AZE.US
Taxi passengers in Baku say they increasingly face a familiar situation: a driver accepts an order, then calls a few minutes later and asks the customer to cancel the ride.
According to residents, such cases happen most often in the evening and when rides are requested to more distant parts of the city. As a result, passengers lose time and have to search for another taxi.
Some users say drivers openly ask them by phone or message to cancel the order, citing traffic, an inconvenient pickup point or the inability to arrive. Passengers say the practice is unfair because the driver has already accepted the ride.
Drivers themselves admit that they sometimes ask customers to cancel the trip in order to protect their rating. They say that when a driver cancels an order, it may affect their performance indicators in the app. A lower rating or a reduced acceptance rate can lead to fewer orders or the loss of bonuses.
Drivers also point to low fares on some routes, heavy traffic, narrow roads, distant neighborhoods and inconvenient pickup locations. In such cases, they say, completing the trip may become economically unprofitable.
Transport expert Adil Nabiyev says the system should be designed in a way that protects the rights of both drivers and passengers. According to him, if a driver accepts an order but later decides not to complete it, the responsibility for canceling the ride should remain with the driver.
Nabiyev noted that shifting the cancellation burden onto the passenger weakens the objectivity of the rating system and damages users’ trust in the service.
Taxi platforms say that if a driver asks a passenger to cancel a ride after accepting the order without a valid reason, such behavior does not comply with service rules. Passengers are advised to report such cases through the app.
The companies say all complaints received by support teams are reviewed. If a complaint is confirmed, the driver is contacted, the case may negatively affect the driver’s rating and repeated violations can lead to the suspension of the driver’s account.
AZE.US