MoRTH orders ride apps to stop pre-ride tipping features

MUMBAI: Tip before the trip? Not anymore. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has ordered ride-hailing platforms to immediately stop pre-ride tipping features that suggest passengers can improve their chances of getting a cab by paying extra before the journey begins.

The directive, issued on 11 August, covers platforms including Uber, Ola and Rapido and targets prompts such as “Advance Tip” and “Choose an Add-on”. The ministry said such features can create the impression that paying an additional amount could make a driver more likely to accept a booking.

MoRTH said the practice is not permitted under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. Clause 14.15 of the guidelines allows passengers to voluntarily tip drivers, but only after the journey has been completed.

That means the tip comes after the ride, not before it. The tipping option cannot be displayed at the booking stage, before the ride starts or while the journey is in progress.

The ministry has also drawn a wider line around how tipping can be presented on apps. It said no feature, prompt, payment option or user-interface element should imply that an additional payment could influence driver acceptance, ride allocation, booking confirmation, waiting time or service quality.

The move comes amid growing use of advance-tip prompts on ride-hailing platforms, where passengers are encouraged to add a payment while waiting for a driver to accept their booking. The government believes such prompts could put pressure on consumers to pay more in the hope of securing a quicker confirmation or better service.

MoRTH has also reminded aggregators that they cannot keep any portion of a customer’s tip. The full amount must be transferred directly to the driver, in line with the 2025 guidelines.

The ministry further warned that tipping mechanisms considered misleading or manipulative could attract scrutiny under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

All motor vehicle aggregators have been asked to review their apps and make the necessary changes to ensure full compliance with the guidelines without delay.

The directive effectively puts the brakes on tipping as a pre-ride bargaining tool, leaving passengers free to reward drivers but only once the ride has reached its destination.