Hyderabad Man Claims Cab Drivers Used Traffic Excuse To Demand Rs 6,000 Fare

A Hyderabad man has claimed that multiple cab drivers demanded up to Rs 6,000 for an early morning ride to the airport.

In a Reddit post, the man described booking a cab around 4:00 am for a 7:00 am flight from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. According to him, the driver called soon after and, upon learning the destination, asked for “some extra accordingly.”

When the passenger insisted on paying the fare shown on the app, the driver allegedly claimed that routes had changed and traffic issues could cause delays before asking for Rs 5,000 for the trip.

“He said something about the routes being changed and claimed we might get stuck, and he asked for Rs 5,000,” the post read.

“The same story repeated with other drivers. They were quoting anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000,” the user wrote. “I didn’t understand what was going on, so I asked my friend to drop me instead.”

He added that while there was some traffic on the way, the journey was quick.

“Is there any issue going on with cabs to the airport, or are these drivers just trying to extort extra money from customers because they know people won’t find another cab immediately?” he ended the post.

A user commented, “Greed ...nothing else. 5k is too too much ...for a 7k flight the man expecting 5k charge to the airport?”

Another wrote, “It's a scam. I have encountered this discussion multiple time. Don't waste your time arguing with them. Cancel and proceed to book another ride.”

“This is a pure scam. There won't be any traffic in the morning,” a comment read.

Someone said, “I go on one or two day return business trips, I take my own car to the airport. Works cheaper and timely, despite parking fees, fuel and tolls.”

A user advised, “Just pay extra if you are in a hurry and then later ask chat support to refund you the excess. (Works only with online payments as you can show proof of transaction).”

In March earlier this year, cab drivers in Hyderabad, led by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union, boycotted trips to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport to protest low aggregator fares. Drivers said platforms charge Rs 300–Rs 400 for airport rides while taking 30% commission, far below the state-approved Rs 21 per km rate. They also face hours-long waits for return trips.