A number of cab drivers of Uber and Ola have threatened to go on a hunger strike starting from today. Telangana Cab Drivers and Owners Association (TCDOA) said in a report yesterday that they will go on an indefinite hunger strike against the cab-hailing app companies, Uber and Ola. The reason behind the strike is nonfulfillment of the demands of cab drivers,
Many of the drivers attached to the companies are on a strike for past five days, in Hyderabad. The drivers are demanding the companies not to accept any new registrations on their platforms as the existing member, the cab owners, are not able to make enough money, In a statement the Telangana association’s president, Shiva Vulkundakar said, “Our situation is getting worse and worse and as a result we are left with no choice than to sit on a hunger strike to make our voice heard. I will personally sit along with some other members who support us.”
“They are using unfair practices. The state government should come to our rescue. They (Ola and Uber) make tall promises to drivers during enrollment. The companies had promised that every cab driver would earn handsome money. But in reality, the picture is different. We request the state government to allow us to use meters so that we can run our vehicles as taxis,” he added.
Not only the cab drivers but IT employees are also affected by the strike. About 3.5 lakh employees avail cab services every day to work. Hyderabad has nearly 1 lakh auto rickshaws but that is not enough to fill the demand of such a huge number of people. Of these autos, nearly fifty percent are used to transport school going kids twice in a day and rest provide services to railway and bus stations. Though the exact number of cabs drivers on strike is not confirmed yet but TCDOA claimed that over one lakh drivers belonging to both the taxi app companies are participating in the strike.
A senior official of Ola after the announcement of the strike said, “there is some impact on the business but, “business is as usual”.
Uber, in a statement yesterday, said, “We condemn the forceful disruption to our services in Hyderabad by a small group of people who have threatened drivers and damaged vehicles, inconveniencing riders and preventing people from earning a livelihood. We remain committed to serving the city, and call upon authorities to ensure safety and continued operation of our services so that we can keep Hyderabad moving.”
However, TCDOA is denying Uber’s allegation and termed it as baseless.
