The strike called by drivers in Delhi attached to ride-hailing apps, such as Uber and Ola, demanding subsidy on CNG prices and revision of fare rates took a break on Tuesday, but continued with the strike on Wednesday (April 20).
Meanwhile, Uber confirmed on Wednesday that it had raised its fares in Bengaluru by 15% in the backdrop of increased fuel prices. Ola is likely to follow suit. The diesel price in Bengaluru on Wednesday stood at ₹94.78 per litre while the petrol price is ₹111.09 per litre. In other cities too, Uber has upped the fares.
Taxi and auto drivers in Delhi, however, are back with their agitation after giving a one-day relief to commuters. Ravi Rathore, president of the Sarvodaya Driver Welfare Association Delhi, which represents drivers attached to app-based cab aggregators, said, “We had a meeting with Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in which he said that he cannot hike fares of cabs plying with app based cab aggregators like Ola and Uber. So, we have decided to continue our strike on Wednesday.”
As the app-based cabs remained off the roads, several people faced difficulties due to non-availability of rides and surge pricing.
“I am trying to book a cab for my office in Noida Film City from Mayur Vihar but the fare is high due to the strike. I usually pay around Rs 300, but today the estimated fare is around Rs 700,” Nilesh Kumar, a commuter, said earlier in the day.
“I tried booking a cab but the waiting period was about 15-20 minutes and that too at higher rates. Since autos were plying today, so I decided to take an auto to Lajpat Nagar from AIIMS,” another commuter, Deepika Chaudhary, said.
The strike did show its effect in Delhi’s satellite towns like Noida and Gurgaon too, with commuters finding it difficult to get cabs or being charged much higher than usual. The charges remained inflated till 11 am and somewhat normal during the lean afternoon hours. Joginder, a bike-cab rider, said he was taking customers only within Noida and straightaway cancelling requests for Delhi or even Ghaziabad. “I get around a dozen rides on a normal weekday by lunch time. Today, I have done only five rides in that duration. The fares have been higher though,” Joginder told PTI.
Also read: Demolition drive begins in Jahangirpuri despite SC order, then stopped
The drivers’ association also said that any decision to turn it into an indefinite strike will be taken on Wednesday.
Cab drivers also staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for their demands. “We will again hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday where we will take a call regarding indefinite strike,” Rathore told PTI.
Rathore said apart from the subsidy on CNG the government should also consider revision of fares. “It has become tough for auto and cab drivers to survive after a hike in fuel prices. Fares of app-based cabs have not been revised for a long time in the city. Seeing the steep rise in CNG prices, the government should increase fares,” Rathore demanded.
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, many customers complained that taxi drivers were refusing to switch on their ACs.
In Mumbai, Uber hiked charges by 15% on April 1. The online taxi-hailing service in the statement also said that over the coming weeks, it would continue to track fuel price movements and take further steps as needed.
(With inputs from agencies)