Centre Directs Ride-Hailing Platforms To Take Down ‘Advanced Tipping’ Prompts

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has instructed ride-hailing companies like Uber, Rapido, Ola, and others to remove "tipping" prompts that appear before or during a ride. The ministry stated that showing such prompts is a violation of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025.

In a directive issued on August 11, the ministry objected to features like "Advance Tip", "Choose an Add-on", and "Improve your chances of quicker ride confirmation". The ministry also criticized messages suggesting that tipping might increase the likelihood of a driver accepting a ride. According to Clause 14.15 of the guidelines, passengers are only allowed to tip drivers after the ride has been completed.

Aggregators are prohibited from offering tipping options during the booking process, before the ride starts, or while the ride is ongoing.

If a passenger decides to tip the driver, the entire amount should go directly to the driver, and aggregators should not be permitted to charge any commission. Moreover, tipping options must not be misleading or manipulative and must adhere to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The MoRTH recommended that all ride-hailing aggregators immediately review their mobile applications and digital platforms to ensure full compliance with Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. Any interface or functionality that does not meet these requirements should be altered promptly. Aggregators have been expressly forbidden from using any prompts or payment options before the end of a ride that imply tipping could improve ride confirmation, driver acceptance, allocation, waiting time, or service quality.