Ride hailing app services partially impacted as drivers go on strike

Ride-hailing apps such as Ola, Uber and Rapido were sporadically impacted on Saturday as drivers went on a partial strike across several cities in the country.

Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) had called for a "breakdown" on February 7 to protest against existing rules and practices of app-based transportation platforms.

It has demanded that the Centre and state governments should notify minimum base fare app-based transport services and bar the use of non-commercial vehicles for commercial passenger and goods transport.

"We received one of the biggest responses to our call for breakdown today. We had planned to sit with heads and our leaders of 20 states to protest against the practices of app-based transport services firms and unexpectedly driver partners also turned up at Jantar Mantar," TGPWU founder state President Shaik Salauddin told PTI.

He said the call was for a breakdown, which was meant to partially not accept bookings when there is peak demand.

"We can see data online. Therefore, whenever the demand surged our partners declined to accept booking. We want the government to come up with its own fare slabs including deciding a minimum base fare so that it is convenient for both drivers and consumers. When there is a surge in demand, apps increase prices 2-3 times which makes it inconvenient for users. We are against such practices," Salauddin said.

Drivers in some cities, including Delhi, Bangalore, Sonipat, Gorakhpur, on condition of anonymity, said that they were accepting service and did not see any impact around them.

App-based ride users, including those of Ola and Uber, posted on social media about drivers not turning up and, in some cases, asking to cancel the booking and pay them directly in cash.

A query sent to Ola, Uber and Rapido did not elicit any reply.