Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions & Nature of the Platform

"Cholonaa", "Company", "we", "us", or "our" refers to CHOLONAA INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, an Indian private limited company duly incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013.

Cholonaa operates as an intermediary technology platform that connects independent third-party commercial transport operators ("Driver Partners") with passengers seeking point-to-point urban transportation ("Riders"). Cholonaa does not own the commercial transport vehicles and does not employ Driver Partners as direct staff; Driver Partners act as independent contractors.

2. Eligibility & Account Registration

To use our services, you must be at least 18 years of age and legally competent to enter into binding contracts under the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Minors may only ride accompanied by an adult guardian.

• You agree to provide true, accurate, and complete registration details, including your mobile number and legal name.
• You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your mobile verification OTP and account credentials.
• You must immediately notify Cholonaa Support if you suspect any unauthorized access to your account.

3. Ride Booking, Fares & Surge Pricing

When booking a ride on Cholonaa, the fare is computed transparently based on distance, estimated travel time, vehicle category (Bike Taxi, Auto Rickshaw, or Cab), and applicable zonal regulations.

• Upfront Estimates: Cholonaa displays an estimated fare before you confirm your booking. The final fare may adjust if you change destinations, add stops, or encounter route deviations.
• Surge / High Demand Multiplier: During periods of heavy traffic, rain, peak office hours, or high demand in specific geofenced zones, dynamic pricing multipliers may apply. Any surge is disclosed on screen before booking.
• Tolls and Parking: Any mandatory highway toll taxes, airport entry fees, or parking charges incurred during the trip are additional and payable by the passenger.

4. Cancellation & Refund Policy

We strive to provide reliable and timely pickups. To protect the time and fuel investment of our Driver Partners, the following cancellation rules apply:

• Free Cancellation Window: You may cancel a booking free of charge within 2 minutes of a driver accepting your trip.
• Cancellation Fee: If you cancel after 2 minutes or after the driver has arrived at the pickup location, or if you fail to arrive within 5 minutes of driver arrival ("No-Show"), a nominal cancellation charge may be debited to your next trip or deducted from your in-app wallet balance.
• Refunds: If you believe a cancellation fee was charged erroneously (e.g. driver asked you to cancel, or driver drove in the opposite direction), you may raise a dispute in the app or via cholonaarider@gmail.com. Legitimate refund claims are processed back to your original payment method or wallet within 5–7 business days.

5. Payments & Settlement Gateways

Cholonaa offers multiple convenient and secure payment options:

• UPI & Digital Payments: Instant dynamic UPI QR codes and deep links powered by certified RBI-regulated payment aggregators (including VisionsPayment and PayPur).
• Cholonaa In-App Wallet: Pre-loaded wallet balances that can be topped up via UPI for lightning-fast 1-tap checkout.
• Cash: Cash payments made directly to the Driver Partner at trip completion.

All digital payment transactions are encrypted and processed by authorized payment gateways. Cholonaa does not store your confidential UPI PIN, bank net-banking passwords, or debit/credit card CVVs on its servers.

6. Driver Partner Terms & KYC Verification

Individuals who register on the Cholonaa Partner platform agree to adhere to strict verification standards:

• Mandatory KYC: Drivers must provide a valid Commercial/Transport Driving Licence, Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC), and active Vehicle Insurance.
• Safety & Decorum: Drivers must operate their vehicles safely, obey all traffic rules, maintain clean vehicles, and treat all passengers with dignity and courtesy.
• Zero Tolerance for Harassment / Intoxication: Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or engaging in harassment results in immediate permanent blacklisting and reporting to law enforcement authorities.

7. User Conduct & Safety Guidelines

All passengers and drivers are expected to uphold high standards of civic respect and road safety:

• Helmet & Seatbelts: Helmet use is mandatory on all two-wheeler (Bike Taxi) trips in compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act. Seatbelts are mandatory for four-wheeler trips.
• Prohibited Items: Carrying hazardous substances, illegal contraband, firearms, or unauthorized goods is strictly prohibited.
• Damage to Vehicles: Passengers are responsible for intentional damage caused to a Driver Partner's vehicle (e.g., vandalism, interior soiling).

8. Emergency SOS & Location Tracking

For safety and quality assurance, Cholonaa captures foreground and background location data during an active ride:

• GPS Route Tracking: Your trip route is monitored in real-time by Cholonaa's automated dispatch engine.
• Emergency SOS: An instant 1-tap SOS button in the app allows riders to notify pre-configured trusted emergency contacts and local emergency police response teams with live coordinates.

9. Intellectual Property Rights

All trademarks, logos, service marks, designs, algorithms, codebases, and graphical assets associated with Cholonaa are the exclusive intellectual property of CHOLONAA INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED. You may not copy, reverse engineer, distribute, or create derivative works without prior written consent.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law:

• Cholonaa acts solely as an intermediary technology service. We do not warrant that services will be uninterrupted or error-free.
• Cholonaa shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages resulting from traffic delays, driver conduct, or unforeseen road incidents.
• Our total cumulative liability to you for any claim arising out of these services shall not exceed the total trip fare paid by you for the specific ride in dispute.

11. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. In the event of any legal dispute or controversy arising out of these Terms, the competent civil courts at Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India shall have exclusive territorial jurisdiction.

12. Grievance Redressal & Contact

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, the contact details of our designated Grievance Officer are: