A Twitter argument about autowalas in the nation's financial capital refusing to accept the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recently sparked a war of words between residents of Bangalore and Mumbai.
A Bangalore resident identified as Sumukh Rao, who was in Mumbai, took to X formerly known as Twitter and stated that the 'financial city' isn't much of a draw for the UPI, whether it be in terms of transport or dining. On the microblogging site, Mumbai residents have responded to the message and shared their opinions on it.
The assertion about Mumbai brought mixed opinion of netizens; some people opposed it, while others agreed.
75% rickshaws accept UPI. It's only the very old folks who refuse to change (includes the restros mentioned). I have been cash free since forever.
— Shivam Vahia (@ShivamVahia) August 17, 2023
Can you back it up with data? How did you calculate 99%? Thoda realistic fekne ka 😂
— Airmiles Enthu (IN) 🇮🇳 (@AirmilesEnthu) August 17, 2023
I hate when someone disses Mumbai but this frustrates me too. Mumbai really needs to pull its socks up when it comes to UPI. It's a shame.
— drashti (@PJdiploma) August 17, 2023
itna hi likh deta , ki :
— Anuj (@Anujology) August 18, 2023
Mumbai's majority of rickshaw and taxi valas don't accept UPI.
also i found that , Heck, several shops and popular establishments like Rustom Ice Cream and Kyani only deal in cash.
Come to Bengaluru and every rickshaw has like 3 different QR codes.…
On this debate, Mumbai Live spoke with local autorickshaw drivers to understand their perspective on using online payment method for transactions.
Ganesh Gaonkar, an autowala in Chembur, said, “I cannot afford a smartphone for using UPI, but in case a passenger wants to travel and wants to make an online payment so I have printed the QR Code of my friend’s account and hence I accept UPI payments as well.”
Another auto driver, Mahesh Gupta said, “I am an illiterate person, I do not know how UPI functions. But if someone teaches me to make use of UPI I feel it's a convenient payment method and won’t refrain from using it.”
Speaking of challenges being faced in their business, Dashrat Tejam another Mumbai auto driver said, “Once I got bugged as a passenger said he made the payment online, but I did not receive it in my account. Since then I stopped using this option of payment.”
Similar to netizens' reaction, the citizens of Mumbai and Bangalore have given conflicting experiences while commuting in auto.
Sneha Jain, a Chembur resident said, “Here 80% of auto and taxi drivers do not use UPI. For people like me who travel cashless and make payments mostly via GooglePe, PayTM, etc. have to go to the ATM to withdraw money. Or have to look out for one having a UPI option available. When I travel towards Bandra or Andheri, mostly the taxi drivers have the UPI option. On that route, I never have to look for an ATM to withdraw cash and make payment.”
Kavish Gulati, a Kurla resident said, “Near Kurla station, it is easy to find an auto having UPI payment option. Only a few aged auto drivers do not have this option, and when I make a commute in their vehicle I make cash payments as I do carry cash.”
"With online transactions available at almost every nook and corner, payment has become convenient. There is no need to carry loads of cash, which also saves us from theft cases. Talking especially about paying autorickshaws and taxi drivers, it is huge relief in terms of arguing or waiting for giving and taking the change. It saves time and also we don't have to pay extra or less for them. While I prefer paying it in cash most of the time, having an added option is a win-win situation in several circumstances," says Darshan Mehta, a resident of Mira Road.
A Mumbaikar who currently resides in Bangalore, on the condition of anonymity exclaimed about the comparison made and shared the reason why the people there choose UPI methods while travelling.
“In Bangalore, a lot of autos are booked through applications like Ola and Uber as it offers fixed amount. This avoids negotiation discussions between driver and passenger. Another reason for online booking is language barrier and people generally do not want to get into an argument. Moreover, the trust factor is not established. Therefore, most of them have boarded on the applications, which have UPI options available for making payments. Whereas in Mumbai, the scenario is a slightly different. Autos are available on the streets because there is a regularised way of functioning. There is an Transport Union to decide on meters, and the laws made are strictly regulated and followed across the city,” he opined.
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