Ola and Uber drivers in major cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from Monday, PTI reported on Friday. They said they earn much less than what they were promised initially because of mismanagement by the taxi aggregator companies.
“Ola and Uber had given big assurances to the drivers, but today they [drivers] are unable to cover their costs,”said Sanjay Naik of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena, who is organising the strike in Mumbai. “They have invested Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, and were expecting to make Rs 1.5 lakh a month, but are unable to even make half of this, owing to the mismanagement by these companies.”
He also said that Uber and Ola give priority for rides to cars they own over vehicles owned by drivers, and this has hit the earnings of such drivers. The drivers said they would switch off their devices from Sunday midnight. They will protest along with their families outside the offices of Uber and Ola, Naik told DNA earlier.
Demands include that the taxi aggregators ensure that drivers earn the amounts they were promised initially, stop giving priority to company-owned vehicles, reinstate drivers who were blacklisted because of low ratings, and stop booking low-fare rides.
Ola has not issued a comment, and Uber said the call for the strike was speculative.
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