KOCHI: Kerala State Private Motor Thozhilali Federation (AITUC) said that Online Taxi services like Ola, Uber and Meru adversely affect the existence of around six lakh autorickshaw drivers, one lakh auto-taxi workers and 10,000 taxi workers in the state. In a press statement issued here the federation president J Udayabhanu and general secretary Joy Joseph said that the state government should seize such vehicles as these taxi services violate the transportation charges fixed by the state government.
“Online taxi services charge only half of the prevailing rate to attract customers. Ultimately these services will kill traditional autorickshaw and taxi services. Once they get control over the transportation market, the charges will be unilaterally decided by them. Hence, the sector will also witness the crisis once faced by local shops in the state when big malls started operation. Initially, they had offered cheaper rate to attract customers, but now they are charging illogically. Foreign as well as Indian corporates are the major investors in these new generation transportation services,” Joy Joseph said.
If the state government does not act aggressively in order to control Online Taxi services in the state, a large number of auto and taxi drivers in the state will be rendered jobless soon, the federation warned.
AITUC has plans to join hands with all other trade unions in the sector to start agitations against Online Taxi services.