BENGALURU: Although Uber and Ola cab drivers have called off their strike temporarily, it seems the battle is still on. The drivers intend to resort to protest again if their demands are not met in the next three days.
The Transport department has decided to intervene in the matter and will conduct a meeting with the drivers’ associations and the app-based aggregator companies on Wednesday.
Narendra from the Chalukya Okkuta drivers association, said, “We will see how the meeting pans out, then we will decide our next step. But we are adamant about our demands. We will not stop protesting if our demands are not taken seriously.”
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “I have asked the Transport Commissioner and Additional Commissioner to look into the matter. I am waiting for a report from them.
Elaborating about the meeting, Transport Commissioner K Ayyappa said, “We have called both the parties. We will first hear from both the sides, see if the demands can be fulfilled, and then we will make the necessary recommendations.”
Meanwhile, there seems to be a divide among the drivers regarding the protest. Jagga Reddy, a driver of an app- based operator said, “We definitely want the flat rates being charged by the companies for the airport trips to be removed and increase the airport fare. We want them to bring down their commission charges and increase the incentives. But most of us do not agree to all the demands. Also, we cannot protest like them and stop our business for a day as it will affect our livelihood.”
A Uber spokesperson said, “Majority of the people who are protesting are not employed by us. Most of them are members of different fringe groups and drivers whom we have suspended for fraud or other charges.” Interestingly, the protest is slowly taking a political colour as Janata Dal (Secular) state president H D Kumaraswamy has been requested to intervene in the matter by a few drivers’ associations.
Apart from increasing the incentives, hiking the airport fare and providing toll charges, their other demands include: Stopping harassment of drivers, decisions should not be taken without consulting them, no new cabs should be added, scrapping sharing system, ending daily and monthly targets, a stop to imposing fines on drivers for denial of duty, daily trips for incentives should be reduced from 18-20 to 10-12, basic facilities for drivers should be provided at the airport and 24X7 grievance cell.