Govt bans ‘advance tipping’ on ride-hailing apps, mandates ‘female driver’ option for women

The Union government has cracked down on the advance tipping feature in the ride-hailing sector, effectively banning platforms like Uber, Ola, and Rapido from soliciting tips from passengers before a ride begins.

An amendment to the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), through a circular dated December 15, which was reviewed by FE, has mandated that any voluntary tipping feature must only be visible to the passenger “after the completion of the journey.” The new rules also introduce a mandatory safety feature allowing female passengers to specifically choose female drivers.