GUWAHATI: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has directed ride-hailing platforms to immediately remove all pre-ride tipping prompts and payment options that suggest passengers can improve their chances of getting a ride by tipping drivers in advance.
ALSO READ: Construction Materials Block Footpath in Guwahati’s Birubari, Worsen Traffic and Waterlogging Woes
The directive refers to Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which states that tipping must remain a voluntary feature and can only be displayed after a journey has been completed.
According to the ministry, passengers should not see any tipping option at the time of booking, before the ride begins, or while the trip is in progress. The guidelines specify that users may voluntarily tip drivers only after the journey ends.
The advisory comes after several cab aggregator apps displayed prompts such as “Advance Tip”, “Choose an Add-on”, and “Improve your chances of quicker ride confirmation”, along with messages implying that offering a tip could increase the likelihood of a driver accepting a booking.
MoRTH reiterated that such practices violate the aggregator guidelines, emphasising that tipping must remain entirely voluntary and should not influence ride allocation or driver acceptance decisions.
