BENGALURU: In the first week of April, the state government issued the final notification on ‘The Karnataka On Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules 2016’ with very few changes from the draft notification.
While surge pricing has been disallowed, the requirements for drivers have been relaxed. The earlier requirement in the draft notification asking for five years of driving experience and residence in the state has been cut down to two years of experience. Overall, the effect of the Act, apart from benefiting individual drivers, is unlikely to kickstart new companies in the state.
According to officials in the Road Transport Authority, so far only Ola has applied for a licence. The companies are required to send in applications as cab aggregators to the state authorities. Licence for individual cabs will be given at the RTA at Bengaluru level.
“The new Act is welcome as an enterprise because it encourages industry, but opportunities for Bengaloreans are practically non-existent. As an individual, it is a good scheme for self-employment, but someone who has to apply for a licence to be an aggregator will have to have a minimum of 100 taxis. That has reduced it to a venture on an industrial level,” said Radhakrishna Holla, General Secretary of Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association.
However, he is happy that aggregators are also made liable for issues where the driver violates the rules specified or is involved in an accident.
Holla pointed out that certain sections of the Act, like the driver being free to choose whichever operator he wants, had to be sorted out.
Employment Boon
Working as a driver with the two major aggregators Uber and Ola seems to have turned into an attractive job opportunity for many, especially those migrating to the city from nearby areas.
Places like Mysuru, Mandya, Kolar, Tumakuru, Ramanagaram and villages have seen a stream of men heading to Bengaluru and trying their luck with taxis. A profession that is seen as something that requires minimal skill, more are being drawn to the flexibility of having fixed timings and benefits. Some work with aggregators by day and drive for companies at night.
Vijay, a driver with Ola, said that having a steady stream of rides on his 10-hour shift has eased matters for him. “The traffic gets to us sometimes, but what I am earning by working with companies works out for me. I am happy,” he said.
Another driver, Mahesh, who hails from Mysuru and has been a resident of the city for 13 years, said, “It is so much better than working for corporate companies where I had to drive at night. It was very stressful. Financially, it has worked out well,” he said.
But Mahesh wants to move back to Mysuru after a couple more years, for he cannot stand the traffic here.
