By Anirudh Jain
Hailing an Ola or an Uber cab will be next to impossible for commuters in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai as the drivers of the companies mentioned above have declared a strike. This time, the strike is being organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahutak Sena (MNVS), which is the transport wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The protesters, being led by the MNVS President Sanjay Naik, have numerous pending issues with their said employers, stating that the employers gave big assurances to their drivers but are now unable to recover their own costs.
“Ola and Uber had given big assurances to their drivers, but today they are unable to cover their costs. The drivers had invested around Rs 5-7 lakhs and were expecting to make Rs 1.5 lakh a month but are unable to make even half of this, owing to the mismanagement by these companies,” said Sanjay Naik. “Drivers were making a fraction of what was promised to them when they partnered with the companies,” he added.
Cause of repeated protests
The transport union demarcated five major problem areas:
- Drivers were initially lured with lucrative commissions as low as ten percent. However, as the companies have started chasing profitability, the commission has increased to 30 percent. This, combined with the EMI and operational expenses, have resulted in earnings of less than Rs 30,000 a month.
- Ola had given auto loans under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) without any background verification and as a result, in their current situation, drivers are unable to repay their loans leading to a seizure of their vehicles. The banks which provided loans against these cabs have seised thousands of vehicles. “The drivers are neither able to repay loans nor provide for their families, even after driving for over 12 hours a day,” said a driver who operates his vehicle for both Ola and Uber.
- Booking preference by the company is towards the leased vehicles as compared to the driver owned vehicles.
- Ola, which initially charged ten rupees per kilometre, is now down to six. Uber has also slashed their prices to match their rival. The slash in prices, combined with the rising fuel costs has proven to be detrimental to the drivers.
- Other demands by them include deciding fares according to the cost of the vehicle, stopping low-fare bookings and reinstating blacklisted drivers who have been given low ratings by passengers.
Outcomes of earlier turmoils
Similar strikes have happened in the past, like the November 2016 strike in Guwahati and the five-day strike in Hyderabad, which was followed by another one in Bengaluru. If history was to repeat itself, then this protest too would fizzle out like the other ones in the past.
“What’s the point in protesting? People protest so they can gain the attention of the government and the companies involved. We know the companies aren’t listening and the government has washed its hands of the issue. We’re still suffering from the losses caused last time. We can’t afford to do that again,” said Sufian Yakub, a Bengaluru-based driver.
Despite previous failures, protestors are determined this time and have gone on an indefinite strike. “We expect the cab companies to come to the table today and discuss with the government how they can come at par with the black and yellow taxis and other modes of public transport. If there are no meetings or resolutions, then we shall decide on our next course of action,” reported Naik to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
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