A few drivers that Business Standard spoke to said their concerns stem from a rise in safety incidents that have put the lives of drivers in danger. In particular, they pointed to the killing of a 25-year-old cab driver, Suraj Singh, in Gurugram in January this year. Since then, drivers have been demanding stronger safeguards, urging both platforms and authorities to introduce concrete measures to ensure safer working conditions.
One of the key demands is that passengers should also be verified and their Know Your Customer (KYC) details should be obtained before allowing them to book rides. Rakesh, a Delhi-based driver, said, “Companies have all the details of drivers — their names, vehicle number plates, driving licence, everything. Why should there be no information on the customers? It is important that, similar to drivers, passengers should also undergo verification.” Rakesh has been protesting at Jantar Mantar for the last two days.
Another driver, Praveen, who is also based in Delhi, said there needs to be proper measures for drivers’ safety. “It’s not that only drivers can pose a risk to customers, the opposite is also happening. We fear for our lives.”
Sharing the challenges faced by customers in the region, Saksham, a 28-year-old employee who lives in Gurugram but takes a cab to commute to his office in Delhi, said, “It was a bit difficult to get a cab on time over the weekend as I had an office party to attend. It took around 10 minutes to find a cab, but upon returning at night, the cab booking process was as usual.”
Ola, Uber, and Rapido did not share a formal statement on the development till the time of going to press.
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