Utoo drivers in Chennai protest termination of service
CHENNAI: Around 400 drivers of Utoo call taxi service staged a protest before the company’s corporate office in Nungambakkam on Wednesday after the company allegedly terminated their regular service.
The drivers claimed that the Chennai-based taxi service, launched by noted entrepreneur C Sivasankaran, hired them with the promise of a fixed pay of Rs 15,000 with an additional 10 per cent incentive every month and special overtime pay if drivers worked for an extra two hours apart from their 12-hour duty.
“However, now they’re telling us that there is no fixed pay and anyone who wishes to continue working with them must pay a daily rent besides taking care of fuel expenses,” said Murugaiyyan R, a driver of Utoo.
According to the drivers, those willing to work for the taxi service will have to pay Rs 600 to Rs 800 every day depending on the size of the cars that the company would rent out to them. Unlike other taxi services like Ola and Uber, Utoo operates with a fleet of its own cars and has no options for those with cars of their own. Drivers find the arrangement impracticable since the customer base of the cab service is considerably smaller and so, they don’t get to take as many trips as they would like.
“On my best days when there are a lot of discount offers, I take 10 trips. It doesn’t get higher than that. So with an average of Rs 1,000-Rs 1,200 I make every day, how do I pay the rent and take care of fuel charges,” asked a driver who requested anonymity.