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Cab drivers' strike enters 5th day
New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) The strike in Delhi-NCR by thousands of Ola and Uber drivers demanding better pay entered its fifth day, which led to autorickshaws fleecing commuters.
New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) The strike in Delhi-NCR bythousands of Ola and Uber drivers demanding better pay enteredits fifth day, which led to autorickshaws fleecing commuters.
Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD) reiteratedto continue the indefinite strike until their demands areaddressed by either these two app-based cab agregators or theDelhi government.
The union claimed to represent 1.5 lakh of drivers inDelhi, Nodia, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram and other cities.
A senior government official said it has been noticedthat some miscreants were vandalizing vehicles and harassingthe public, including women and elderly passengers.
"Majority of the drivers are not in favour of any strikebut some external anti-social elements are illegallypreventing the app-based drivers from plying their vehicles,"the official said.
SDAD vice-president Ravi Rathore said, "So far, norepresentative either from Ola, Uber or the government hasapproached us despite the fact that we have been on strikesince Friday.
"We will continue to raise our voice against 'low fares'and 'lacking' basis amenities companies provide us."
Thousands of drivers have gone on the indefinite strikein protest against "low fares" and "lack" of basic amenitiesfrom app-based taxi aggregators.
On Ola's app, there was no cab available at times duringevening peak hours while Uber's app showed taxis on someroutes. The companies have been resorting to surge pricingduring peak hours in both morning and evening since the strikehas begun.
Asked about Delhi High Court's yesterday order, Rathoresaid that his union members are not stopping those drivers whowant to run their taxis.
Yesterday, HC restrained anyone, including two taxidrivers' unions, from interfering with the running ofapp-based cabs of Uber, whose services had been disrupted duethe recent strike by drivers.
"Delhi government should intervene in the matter. They(drivers) cannot harass us. Autorickshaw drivers are takingthe advantage of strike and are fleecing commuters," AnujChauhan, a resident of Dwarka, said.
Earlier in the day, Delhi government called a meetingwith representatives of Ola, Uber and some members of unionswhich are not participating in the strike.
"Government has asked these companies to prepareagreement with drivers in Hindi henceforth so that they readall conditions. Tomorrow, another meeting may be called tofind a solution," Balwant Singh, President of Rajdhani TouristDrivers' Union.
He said app-based cab companies made "tall promises" todrivers-- like they would earn as much as Rs 1.5 lakh everymonth.
These companies are making us run taxis at Rs 6 per km while they charge 25 per cent from us, Singh said. PTI BUN IKA
