Cab sharing in Pune: fares, routes and what each person pays

Checked on 31 October 2026. Fares use the rates Pune's Regional Transport Authority (RTA) approved, worked out from road distances rounded to the nearest km. Apps can charge less when demand is low and up to 1.5 times more at peak, and their route can be a little longer than the shortest road. The price the app shows when you book is the one that counts.

What a ride costs in Pune

Since 1 May 2025, app cabs (Ola, Uber, Rapido) in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Baramati are meant to charge the RTA's approved rate: ₹37 for the first 1.5 km and ₹25 for each km after that. The RTO has since sent Uber a notice for not following it, so compare what your app shows.

Autos got new fares on 1 September 2026: ₹30 for the first 1.5 km and ₹20 a km after that. An auto takes up to three people and costs about a fifth less than a cab over the same distance.

Maharashtra caps surge at 1.5 times the base fare, and off-peak discounts at 25% below it. More in Ola and Uber surge and cancellation rules.

The trips worth sharing

The longer the ride, the more sharing saves. On a ₹725 cab, two people save about ₹362 each; on a ₹200 one, ₹100.

• Office commutes. Hinjewadi is on the city's western edge, Kharadi and Magarpatta on the east, so a cross-city commute is 20 to 30 km each way. See Hinjewadi cab sharing for the fare from each area and what it saves in a month.
• The airport. Pune airport is in Lohegaon, in the north-east; the west side is 20 to 30 km away. See Pune airport shared cab.
• Trains and buses. Pune station, Shivajinagar and Swargate, where a train or bus arriving brings many people going the same way at the same moment.
• Out of town. Pune to Mumbai (Lonavala is on the way) and Pune to Goa.

Going to Kharadi or Magarpatta

Cab or auto?

For three people or fewer with light bags, an auto costs about 20% less. Kothrud to Kharadi (21 km) is about ₹420 by auto at the RTA rate, or ₹140 each for three, against ₹525 by cab. For four people, or for luggage, take a cab.

Where to meet

• Pick one meeting point on a main road, easy to name: a metro station, a petrol pump, a landmark or a bus stop. A short walk to it is better than extra pickups; every stop adds time and kilometres.
• If people start far apart, two smaller rides beat one long detour.
• Book once everyone is there, so nobody pays the driver's waiting charges.

Splitting the fare

An equal split is fair when everyone gets in and out at the same places. When someone gets off earlier, split by the distance each person rides; how to split a cab fare fairly has worked examples. Pay whoever booked by UPI as soon as the ride ends.

Is it legal?

You book a normal licensed cab or auto together and ride as its passengers; nobody drives their own car for money. More in is carpooling legal in India.

Stay safe

Meet at a busy public spot, share the trip's live location with someone, and check the cab's number before you get in. Our guide to sharing a cab with strangers safely has the full checklist.

How Sobat helps

Search where you're going and Sobat shows rides already heading that way that start a short walk from you; you choose how far you'll walk, from 5 to 20 minutes. Join one, or start your own: everyone searching that route sees it. Everyone walks to one meeting point, one of you books a normal Ola, Uber or auto, and the ride room shows each person's share in rupees. Women can choose women-only rides. Sobat is free and never handles the money; you settle by UPI.

Sources

• Angel One: Ola, Uber, Rapido to charge government-approved fares in Pune from 1 May 2025
• Free Press Journal: Ola, Uber, Rapido fares per kilometre in Pune
• Trak.in: Uber gets notice in Pune over fare rules
• Pune Pulse: auto-rickshaw fares rise from 1 September 2026
• Free Press Journal: Pune RTA approves auto-rickshaw fare hike from 1 September
• OpenStreetMap: road distances (OSRM routing)