Cab strike in Delhi-NCR kills Valentine’s Day romance, strands singles

The Ola and Uber strike in Delhi-NCR dampened the spirit of party lovers on Valentine’s Day, as many were left without a ride.

The day of love flew by and everything wasn’t hunky dory for many in the Capital. For singles, it was a double whammy — not only was Cupid on leave for them, but cabs ditched them, too, what with the recent Ola and Uber strike; being single, they couldn’t depend on a boyfriend to give them a ride. After celebrating a girls’ night out on Valentine’s Day, they were stranded outside clubs. We also met one man who cancelled his V-Day date because there were no cabs and he wouldn’t risk driving.

It was not a happy Valentine’s Day for Delhi couples. (Photo for representation purposes) (Raj K Raj/ HT PHOTO)

Anukriti Bahuguna, 26, creative producer at a production house, lamented the timing of the strike. “It couldn’t have been worse! What about the working, independent girls who don’t have boyfriends to pick and drop them everywhere?” said an agitated Anukriti. “My life depends on these cabs, and to be left stranded outside a bar is utterly frustrating. What a bummer!”

Sahil Nanda, 28, corporate lawyer, said, “I had late-night plans with my girlfriend, but we cancelled it, because we didn’t want to drink and drive. The cab strike obviously spoiled all our Valentine’s Day plans.”

Restaurants across NCR took a hit as they experienced abnormally low sales. Restaurateur Amit Bagga was decidedly unhappy. He said, “Valentine’s Day fell on Tuesday, which anyway is a lean day for business, and on top of that, the cab strike. People prefer drinking late in the night and taking cabs, so this strike did hit our regular V-Day business.”

Cabbie Shashi Kant, 37, said that despite the obvious inconvenience to the public, “We have to stand up for our rights”. The strike would continue till the right solution was found, Kant added.