BENGALURU: A panel discussion conducted on Friday by the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBVP) focussed on the impact of cab aggregators in the city. It concluded with panelists unanimously agreeing that cab aggregators need to be regulated.
Tanveer Pasha, president of the Ola and Uber Owners and Drivers Association said that the livelihood of the cab drivers was affected as drivers were considered partners and hence do not have any law protecting them. “Since the arrival of cab aggregators, 15 cabbies have committed suicide, of which two happened this year,” said Tanveer.
He said that most cabbies had a huge financial burden on them due to vehicle loans they were unable to repay. “These companies only focus on the market and not profits,” said Kaveri Medappa, a transport researcher, adding that with more data of customers available, the efficiency of these apps increases.
The panel agreed that this was the opposite of public transport companies such as BMTC, which focus on profits. Sudeept Maiti, a transport expert, said that a study was being conducted on who were the aggregators’ customers and understanding whether they used public transport.