Why I Cancel Your Ride – A Driver’s Truth
May 1, 2026
Today is Labour Day. A day when we talk about workers, dignity, and fair livelihood.
I am one of them. A cab driver. It could be Mini, Sedan, SUV or an EV.
And today, I want to share something honestly. Why I sometimes cancel your ride?
I don’t cancel because I want to. I cancel because sometimes, accepting your ride means losing money.
🚖 First, know this about me
I am not careless. I am not trying to trouble you. In fact, most of us drivers:
-
Want good ratings
-
Want stable income
-
Want to serve you well
But what you often see as “bad behavior” is actually pressure of survival. Survival hits us hard as another hidden truth is that I am under debt and most drivers like me are in debts as well.
Let me explain.
🚖 My Monthly Reality
I drive 11–14 hours a day. Not because I love long hours but because I have no choice. Every month, before I even earn for my family, I have to cover:
-
Car EMI: ~₹20,000
-
Fuel: ~₹15,000
-
Insurance: ~₹2,000 (paid yearly, divided monthly)
-
Maintenance: ~₹3,000
-
Miscellaneous: ~₹3,000
That’s ₹43,000 just to keep the car running.
Over and above, even one minor accident in a year adds to zero earnings for those days plus cost of repair. It hits us hard more than anyone else.
Then my family needs at least ₹25,000 to survive in a metro city..
➡️ So I need around ₹68,000/month or more just to stay afloat.
📊 What That Means Daily
I work about 26 days or more in a month. I hardly get leaves or celebrate holidays. With this, I need ₹2,600–₹2,700 per day
In a day, I can realistically do:
-
10–12 trips max
-
Already on road for more than 11-12 hours
❌ Why I Cancel Some Rides (Mostly short rides)
When I accept your ride, I don’t see just ₹150 or ₹200. I see the real cost (or survival) behind it.
Here’s what actually happens:
1. Pickup Distance is Unpaid
If I drive 3–4 km to pick you up:
-
That’s fuel + time gone
-
No income yet
2. Traffic Eats My Time
A 5–6 km ride in city traffic:
-
Takes 25–40 minutes
-
I can’t take another ride during this
3. After Commission, It’s Too Low
Out of ₹150–₹200:
-
Platform takes a cut. At times, too much.
-
Fuel & other cost eats a big chunk
➡️ Sometimes, I’m left with ₹50–₹80 for 30–45 minutes of work. That’s not sustainable.
4. Destination Risk
If your drop location is:
-
A low-demand area
-
Or outside main zones
I may have to drive back empty. That one short trip becomes double loss.
5. Genuine Reasons, not an excuse
At times, there are genuine reasons also:
-
Puncture / breakdown
-
Minor accident
-
Previous ride delayed
-
Heavy traffic / stuck far
-
Or outside main zones
✅ Why I Rarely Cancel Long Rides
Long trips are different.
-
Better total fare
-
Less idle time
-
Lower risk of empty return
-
More predictable earning
➡️ One good long ride can cover what 3–4 short rides struggle to
That’s why you’ll see: 👉 Drivers accepting high cost (or I say fair cost) rides instantly 👉 But hesitating on short city trips.
⚠️ What You See vs What I Face
You see:
-
“Driver cancelled again”
I see:
-
“If I do this ride, I won’t meet my daily needs”
🧠 The Hard Truth
This is not about attitude. This is about survival math.
If every ride paid fairly:
-
I wouldn’t cancel
-
I wouldn’t hesitate
-
I wouldn’t need to choose
🧠 A May Day Thought
Today, when we talk about workers, Remember:
Cab drivers are not just “service providers”, They are:
-
Breadwinners
-
Parents
-
Migrants working far from home
-
People trying to survive with dignity
Yes, there are bad experiences sometimes. But most drivers are genuinely trying their best within a system that is not always fair to them.
🔄 What Would Change Everything
If every ride ensured:
- Fair pay for time + distance + pickup
- Respect for driver economics
- Predictable income
➡️ You would see near-zero cancellations
Final Thought
I want to complete every ride I accept. Because every cancellation also hurts my ratings and future trips.
But when the system forces me to choose between: 👉 Completing a ride 👉 Or feeding my family, I don’t really have a choice.
