Agartala, 13th November 2026 : A dispute over the pickup of an Uber passenger outside Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala led to the arrest of an auto-rickshaw driver, identified as Pradip Sarkar (53), following allegations that he obstructed a passenger from boarding the app-based cab.
According to reports, the incident occurred when a passenger, after booking an Uber through the mobile application, arrived at the airport pickup area to board the vehicle. However, Sarkar allegedly objected to the cab collecting the passenger from that spot and insisted that the passenger move elsewhere.
The passenger questioned the driver’s objection, pointing out that the journey had been booked through the authorised online platform and that the Uber vehicle had arrived in response to the booking. What followed was a prolonged argument, during which the auto-rickshaw driver allegedly maintained that app-based cabs were not permitted to pick up passengers from the location.
The passenger, visibly upset by the situation, recorded the confrontation on camera and questioned why travellers were being forced to face such difficulties despite booking rides through an online service. He also sought clarification about which authority had imposed restrictions on Uber pickups at the airport.
The exchange took place in the presence of others, with the passenger alleging that he was being prevented from accessing a service for which he had already made a booking. The video of the incident subsequently brought the issue of alleged interference with app-based cab services at the airport into focus.
Following the incident, police detained and arrested Sarkar in connection with the alleged harassment of the passenger.
The episode has once again highlighted tensions surrounding the operation of app-based transport services and conventional auto-rickshaw operators around MBB Airport, while raising concerns over passengers’ freedom to choose their preferred mode of transportation.
