No major impact of Ola, Uber drivers’ strike in Delhi

New Delhi, September 1

A strike called by a section of Ola and Uber drivers here on Tuesday had no major impact as passengers said they did not face any hassle in booking the cabs.

A section of drivers associated with the two cab aggregators went on a strike to demand a fare hike and a moratorium on loan repayment.

Kamaljeet Singh Gill, the president of the Sarvodaya Drivers Association of Delhi said nearly 250 drivers gathered at Mandi House here to raise their demands but police dispersed them.

Meanwhile, passengers claimed that they did not face issues while booking a ride even though Gill claimed that the strike affected cab availability in many parts of the city.

“In some areas like Dwarka and Uttam Nagar, people paid more money to travel as cabs were not available,” he claimed.

Rashmi Dixit, a resident of Palm Olympia Housing Society in Greater Noida, booked an Ola from the society to her office in Naraina around 7.30 am on Tuesday and did not face any hassle.

“I had heard about the strike and was initially apprehensive about finding a cab. But I found a cab within five minutes and did not face any issues during the entire trip apart from the morning rush hour traffic,” she said.

Another commuter, who travelled from east Delhi to south Delhi, said that he did not face difficulty in booking a cab and the waiting time was also not high and even the fare was normal.

Cab aggregator Uber regretted the “minor inconvenience” caused to a small section of its riders due to the strike, whereas Ola did not comment on it.

“Drivers remain at the heart of our business, and we will continue to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for them, while also ensuring we have robust processes in place to both hear them and address their concerns,” said an Uber spokesperson.

Taxi drivers of various associations in Delhi-NCR, who work with Ola and Uber, decided to go on strike from Tuesday as their appeals for help did not lead to any action by the government, Gill said.

“Due to the acute financial crisis caused by the coronavirus-induced lockdown, drivers are unable to pay their EMIs. The moratorium of loan repayment ended and the banks are already putting pressure on us. Drivers are scared that banks will tow away their vehicles for not paying EMIs,” he said.

The drivers have also demanded that fares should be hiked and their commission increased by the cab aggregators.

Gill said fares should be fixed by the government instead of the cab aggregators. — PTI