Cabs came to halt, online food platters went dry

LUCKNOW: Internet shutdown for the last four days has slowed down the city’s pace.
From payment through e-wallets and debit/credit cards to booking of app-based cabs and rail and air tickets, e-biz has been crippled by internet suspension.
Cab bookings
Users of app-based cabs are a worried lot. More than 3,000 cabs ply daily within the city. With no internet, 90% of the cabs are off roads, causing inconvenience to a large section of office-goers.Radha Bhatt, a resident of Mahanagar and a government employee, said, “I have a harrowing time walking 4km daily from my house till Badshahnagar Crossing to get an auto to my office on Vidhan Sabha road.”
E-transactions
A drop of 90% in the use of e-wallets and debit/credit cards has been reported. Users complained that only 10% shops and petrol pumps in the city have a Wi-Fi facility. As a result, long queues outside ATMs have become a common sight. A private bank official said netbanking transactions have also dropped significantly.
Ticket bookings
Online booking of rail, air and movie tickets has also taken a massive dive. Sale of online rail and tickets has declined by around 50%, while booking of online movie tickets has also been hit. Shaurya Jaiswal, a student of law in Lucknow University, had to rush home after he got the news of her mother falling sick. “I came to Hazratganj market where WiFi is free to book a train ticket to Dehradun.”
Food delivery
Several food outlets and restaurant owners in the city told TOI that online food ordering has declined by 90%. “We wanted to order food at home as going out in cold was a tough task, but had no option because net was not working,” said Abhigyan Sharma, a private executive.