NEW DELHI: Commuters across Delhi-NCR faced significant disruptions as taxi and autorickshaw drivers began a two-day strike on Thursday, pressing for improved compensation from ride-hailing companies. In some places, cab and autorickshaw drivers were threatened and told to deboard passengers.
The drivers’ unions argue that inadequate earnings, coupled with the introduction of bike taxi services by aggregators, have severely impacted their livelihoods.
Kishan Verma, president of the Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union (DATTCU), claimed that nearly 80% of autorickshaws and taxis in the national capital were off the streets. He also announced that a protest would take place at Jantar Mantar.
Commuters reported their difficulty in hailing rides. “I have never faced such difficulty in getting across the city, None of the apps I use on a regular basis was able to provide a taxi. I had to postpone an important meeting,” said Shantanu Agarwal, a commuter.
Another commuter, Shikha Singh, said, “As I live far from metro, I use an auto to commute to and from the metro station. However, despite trying for close to an hour today, I was unable to book a ride,”
Verma reiterated the union’s demand for the government to ban the operation of private vehicles by cab aggregators. “We will also be holding a protest at Jantar Mantar to demand a ban on plying of private vehicles by cab aggregator companies,” Verma said.