Uber drivers protest against Delhi government

Drivers engaged with Uber and other app-based taxi services staged a protest on Monday against the Arvind Kejriwal government for refusing to grant them fresh licences.

Cab drivers at the protest at Jantar Mantar said app-based taxi services changed their lives and set them free from the clutches of transporters, who used to exploit them.

"I want that Uber app should be allowed to continue. The lives of drivers have changed because of Uber. Earlier, transporters used to exploit us. Now because of Uber, we are owners of our vehicles. Uber has helped us buy our own vehicles at low costs and has shown us a way in life," said S.L. Sharma, a taxi driver affiliated to Uber.

The drivers said verification of their background and conduct has been done by Delhi Police.

"App-based taxi services should be allowed. As far as safety is concerned, all of us have been verified by Delhi Police. Earlier, very few people wanted to enter this profession, but now more than 50 percent are educated. I am a graduate and I am working with this company. I earn a good salary which I cannot earn outside," said another driver Jaspreet Singh Sasan.

In recent days, Delhi Police has impounded hundreds of vehicles to enforce a statewide ban on such cab services.

Approximately, 750 cars have been impounded for making trips booked through the apps of Uber, Ola and TaxiForSure in the past week, according to Sharad Agarwal, additional commissioner in the traffic police.

The impounding of cabs comes after a 21-year-old woman accused a driver of Uber of attempting to kiss her after she got off in Gurgaon.

Delhi's Transport Minister Gopal Rai has accused app-based taxi operators Uber and Ola cabs of "misleading" their drivers and commuters, by not submitting details of their drivers to the government.