A section of cab drivers who currently ply on Bengaluru roads as part of Ola and Uber apps are seeking installation of fare meters in their cars as seen in the city’s autorickshaws.
Unlike other major cities in India, there are no metre cabs in Bengaluru with Ola and Uber having an unofficial duopoly.
A protest demanding the same was held on Monday at the city’s Freedom Park by drivers aligned to the Congress-backed Namma Chalakkara Trade Union (NCTU) who wanted to operate without these aggregators. Their contention being that reduced incentives and dynamic pricing of rides as decided by aggregators— Ola and Uber— have left them high and dry.
Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan who had held a meeting with multiple taxi driver unions on Friday also met the protestors at the venue on Monday and promised to fulfil their demands.
NCTU President Somasekhar K told TNM, “We have been demanding that the government fulfil our demands as promised by the previous government. Other than metred cabs, our primary demand is that the government create a Driver Development Board for the betterment of drivers.”
Promises by the former CM HD Kumaraswamy government included state-sponsored accidental insurance for taxi and auto drivers and subsidised housing.
At present, the matter of installing meters in cabs is under judicial scrutiny with Ola and Uber securing a stay from the Karnataka High Court.
While the NCTU wants complete independence from these aggregators, the Ola, Taxi-For-Sure, Uber Driver’s and Owner’s Association said they want to use the app for hailing and navigation purposes.
While this union was also set to join the protests they withdrew as they claimed that the government has promised to meet their demands during Friday’s meeting and blamed the Congress for hurting drivers’ interests while in power.
Tanveer Pasha, the president of the union and a JD(S) leader, said, “We will soon go to the High Court and file a PIL to lift the stay as it will benefit both the customers and the drivers. We do not want fluctuating fares as it confuses both the drivers and commuters. This is a matter of headache for us. We would also appeal to the Transport Department to fix the commission taken by the aggregators at 15% which is 20% currently.”
On the issue of specifics of the meter, Pasha said they want the Transport Department to decide on the rates after discussing the same with the aggregators and the drivers.
While Ola declined to comment on Monday’s strike, an Uber spokesperson said, “We regret any disruption caused to the rider and driver-partner community, due to a small group of individuals. We strive to provide reliable and safe transport options to get around the city and hope to minimize any distress caused. We are committed to the well being of our driver-partners and have processes in place to address concerns and issues through our Partner Seva Kendras and in-App feedback."