The government has told cab aggregators such as Uber, Ola and other ride-hailing platforms to remove pre-trip tipping prompts from their apps.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed companies to ensure that passengers are not led to believe an advance tip could influence whether their booking is accepted, how quickly a driver is assigned or how long they have to wait.

The action follows concerns over booking screens that reportedly displayed options such as advance tips and other paid add-ons alongside suggestions that these could increase the likelihood of getting a ride sooner.

NO UPFRONT TIP TO SECURE A CAB

Under the government's direction, aggregators must review their apps and digital booking systems and remove any feature that conflicts with the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025.

A passenger cannot be presented with an additional payment option before the journey that implies paying more could improve the booking experience.

That covers situations involving driver acceptance, allocation of a vehicle, confirmation time, availability or waiting period.

In effect, a customer should not feel pressured to add a tip simply because they want their cab request to be accepted faster.

TIPPING AFTER THE RIDE IS STILL ALLOWED

The new direction does not prohibit passengers from tipping drivers.

The 2025 guidelines allow customers to voluntarily reward a driver after the journey has ended. The full amount of such a tip must be passed on to the driver, with the aggregator not permitted to retain a portion.

The key difference is when and how the tip is offered. A passenger can decide to tip because they were satisfied with the service, but the payment cannot be used as an incentive to secure or improve the ride beforehand.

WHY THE GOVERNMENT STEPPED IN

The move comes after attention was drawn to pre-booking tipping features on ride-hailing platforms.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority had also raised objections to the practice and directed platforms to discontinue such prompts.

The latest instruction from the transport ministry reinforces the principle that a tip should remain an entirely voluntary payment and should not be connected to the availability or quality of a cab service.

Aggregators have consequently been asked to bring their apps and other digital interfaces in line with the applicable 2025 guidelines.

For passengers, the practical change is simple: book the ride without having to tip upfront, and decide only after the journey whether the driver deserves an additional payment.