Uber, Ola drivers protest against insufficient pay in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: When B Srinivas joined Ola as a driver two years ago, he thought his fortunes will turn around. He took a loan to buy a car after the app-based aggregator promised he would earn Rs 1 lakh a month.
“I earned Rs 1 lakh for just one month and then it reduced to Rs 45,000 a month. Now I earn a maximum of Rs 20,000 a month even if I work round the clock, without a break. I have to pay an EMI of Rs 15,000 per month for the car. I am now struggling to make both ends meet with fuel prices, vehicle maintenance cost, house rent and other expenses going through the roof,” said Srinivas.
Srinivas is among the hundreds of drivers attached to taxi aggregators Ola and Uber who gathered at Freedom Park for a day-long protest on Monday.
Karnataka Rajya Vahana Chalakara Sangha president G Narayanswamy claimed that nearly 60 percent of drivers attached to app-based aggregators participated. “We have decided to go on an indefinite strike unless Ola and Uber agree to our demands. We are also in talks with the Transport department and they agreed for talks on Wednesday,” he said.
The city has a total of 1,29,310 taxis. N Moorthy, an Uber driver, said, “We have to make at least 18 trips a day to get incentives. But the company gives priority booking to drivers who have leased cars from Uber over the ones who drive their own cars. Then how do we get the required number of trips to get the incentives?” He said cab operators also impose a fine of `500 per booking if the driver cancels a ride. “There are also several instances where they take `1,500 per day as fines”.
Narayanswamy said app-based companies are cheating drivers with false promises. “We demand companies not add new cabs to ensure that existing cab drivers get a minimum number of bookings. Many techies also drive taxis as a part-time job which has resulted in lesser bookings for full-time drivers who don’t have any other alternative income,” he said.
App-based drivers in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurgaon and Chennai also protested against app-based aggregators for bookings reducing over the years. Recently, taxi drivers at Kempegowda International Airport staged a flash strike against app-based cab operators offering flat rates.
“They are paying us just Rs 4 per km on airport routes. We have to pay toll charges from our pockets,” said another driver.
An Uber spokesperson said, “We remain committed to serving the city, ensuring driver partners can continue to access a stable income, while giving riders a convenient, reliable option to get around the city.”
Ola officials were unavailable for a comment.
Transport minister R Ramalinga Reddy said the issue is between cab operators and drivers. “The government will look into this and resolve it amicably.”