Add Women-Only Ride Option: Govt To Cab Aggregators

The transport ministry (MoRTH) has reportedly made fresh amendments to the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025. 

As per Economic Times, the new norms mandate cab aggregators to ensure passengers can choose a driver of their same gender. The guidelines also direct mobility platforms to offer an option for female passengers to select a female driver for their journey.

“The app shall include a feature to enable Clause 15.6, wherein a passenger may choose, where available, a driver of the same gender, including an option for female passengers to select a female driver for undertaking a journey,” the fresh amendments reportedly read.

In addition, the government also directed cab aggregators to enable voluntary tipping for drivers by passengers only upon the completion of the journey. “The provision should not be available at the time of booking, before the commencement of the journey, or during the journey,” the new norms reportedly underlined.

Notably, the new amendments also put the onus on ride-hailing platforms to ensure that the entire tip amount is credited to the driver without any deduction. It added that no tipping feature shall be provided in the app that is misleading, manipulative, or otherwise in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

This follows the women and child development ministry urging transport ministry officials to strengthen passenger safety, especially for women passengers. Subsequently, on December 15, MoRTH deputy secretary Mayank Tyagi wrote to officials of all states and union territories to implement the aforementioned norms. 

The latest amendments to the guidelines follow Tyagi’s letter to the state and UT officials. 

It is pertinent to note that MoRTH, in July this year, notified the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025. The new norms cleared all decks for operations of bike taxis in the country. In addition, the norms also capped the maximum surge pricing at twice the base fare for peak hours.

Furthermore, the guidelines also underline provisions for suspension and cancellation of aggregator licenses on grounds such as unjustified fare or dynamic fare charged to the passengers. The new rules also mandated that passengers cannot be charged for dead mileage, except when the distance undertaken during the ride is less than three kilometres.