Drivers of popular cab aggregators Ola and Uber will go on a two-day strike from Tuesday, demanding a better incentive structure and safety measures. They have warned that their strike could continue indefinitely if their demands are not met.
“Many drivers of both the companies are facing financial problems. One of the major reasons for this is the companies’ unfair policies. The drivers are suffering — one of them had attempted suicide earlier this month in front of the Ola office in Vimannagar,” Guru Katti, president of Swaraj Vahan Chalak Malak Sanghatna, told TOI on Monday.
Katti also said he expects the strike to be peaceful, adding that those who insist on driving their cabs during the strike will not be intimidated. “They will be allowed to drive. No one will bother them. But we have urged everyone to leave their cabs at home,” Katti said.
Cabbies demand incentives & safety measures, to go off roads for 2 days
Guru Katti said, “We have made some basic demands. If the companies agree to the demand by Wednesday, we will call off the strike and cabs will ply as normal. If not, we will intensify the strike. This includes cabbies taking to the streets in protest, and forcibly stopping those still driving their cabs. We will not misbehave with passengers. They will only be asked to cancel their ride and look for alternative modes of transport.” He added that the services of other private cabs will remain unaffected.
An Ola driver, speaking on condition of anonymity, said drivers who have taken vehicles under the company’s leasing scheme face many issues. “The company has suddenly changed many regulations which are affecting us. For instance, the company has begun charging us Rs 2 per km for ‘Mini’ and Rs 4 per km for ‘Prime’ if the vehicle has run more than 200km on a given day. This has dented our daily profits. We are also getting charged when we go to pick up a passenger,” he said.
The driver alleged that the company is taking advantage of the fact that many cabbies can’t read English. “The officials say that everything has been (mentioned) in the agreement. We have told them many times to gives us the contract in Hindi or Marathi, but to no avail,” he said.
Many drivers said their own safety on the roads is at stake of late. “Cabbies are being targeted by criminals every day, and there is no one to help. There are many security measures for passengers, but none for drivers,” Ashok Dande, another driver, said.
However, an Ola spokesperson said the safety of their drivers is always a priority. “There are features in the application to ensure that every single person, be it a customer or a driver, is safe at all times. Recently, we rolled out a feature called ‘Ola Guardian’, which tracks every ride and reports any deviation to a member of our safety response team, who then checks if everything is all right. We provide emergency services immediately, when needed,” the spokesperson said, adding that regarding “unjust fines and penalties”, they go by what is in the contract.
Source : TOI
