Taxi strike in Delhi and National Capital Region was partially called off.
A day after the strike by Ola and Uber drivers in Delhi and National Capital Region was partially called off, commuters continued to face trouble. Very few cabs were on the road - even though five of the six drivers' union had called off their indefinite strike demanding a bigger share of fare and incentive from app-based aggregators like Ola and Uber. The strike was partially called off on Sunday, after Delhi transport minister Satyendra Jain had promised to look into the matter.
But on Monday, the drivers who accepted the minister's assurance and tried to get their cabs on the road were stopped from doing so. Many drivers told NDTV that they were being coerced to participate in the protest and feared that their vehicles would be damaged if they decided to step out.
"I went to Rohini yesterday and had to tell the protestors that I am not from Ola. There were three old ladies and a man in my car. They said it was a personal taxi and hence they let us go," said a cab-driver, Amit.
The Sarvodaya Drivers' Association of Delhi, the main organiser of the protest, said that they will continue with their strike against Uber and Ola until their demands are met. "We demand that fares be increased from the existing Rs 6 per km to Rs 21 per km. The 25 per cent commission accrued by aggregators on every booking must also be stopped," said the Vice-President of the association Kamal Rathore.
But the drivers who belong to unions that have called off their strike, say they can't go out because of intimidation and the protest is now hurting their pockets . "For three days, we have been sitting with no work. Everyone has financial problems," said Amit, whose car mirror had been vandalised.
When contacted, an Uber spokesperson said, "A small group of people are disrupting the Uber service in parts of Delhi, and there have been isolated reports of threats and intimidation. We are working hard to ensure reliable rides are available for everyone". Ola has refused to comment.
The strike comes as a blessing for auto-drivers, who have made the most of the situation. "Earlier, we used to ask people but they would be busy with their apps. Now, work has increased. Let us see how long this lasts," said an auto driver.