Chennai: Autos, taxis attached to Ola, Uber to go on strike from February 1

CHENNAI: The auto-rickshaws and taxis attached to Uber and Ola will go on strike from February 1, demanding that these app-based aggregators collect only daily subscription charges instead of taking a commission on rides, and also seeking compensation for the kin of drivers killed in accidents during work. However, the vehicles attached to rival aggregators like Namma Yatri and Taxina will operate as usual.

The call for a strike comes amid the announcement by an auto-rickshaw drivers’ union that from February 1, they would operate on revised fares of at least Rs 50 for the first 1.8 km and Rs 18 for subsequent kilometres. After five minutes of waiting, they would collect Rs 1.50 per minute. Also, the fare would be higher by 50 per cent from 11 pm to 5 am.

According to TA Jahir Hussain, coordinator, the Federation of Driver's Unions, aggregators like Uber and Ola were collecting as much as 25 per cent commission from every ride, which affected their earnings. In contrast, Namma Yatri collects a subscription charge of Rs 25 for autos and Rs 45 for taxis while Taxina charges Rs 35 for autos and Rs 75 for taxis.

"The drivers attached to Namma Yatri and Taxina will get the full fare paid by the passengers. Last year, those drivers earned Rs 15 crore without paying any commission. If they were attached to Ola or Uber, they would have had to give Rs 4 crore as commission," Hussain said.

Both Ola and Uber are not only not considering their demand to move to the subscription-based model but are even unwilling to hold talks in this regard, he alleged.

Citing one case that happened last April, Hussain also alleged that Uber refused to pay compensation for a driver killed in an accident. "Mohammed Samir was standing near his taxi after finishing a ride when a lorry hit him on April 4 and killed him. But Uber, which claims to have accident cover for drivers, refused to pay compensation to his family," he claimed.

He also blamed the DMK government for not fulfilling even a single one of the drivers’ demands. Though the Madras High Court ordered thrice to revise auto-rickshaw fares fixed on August 25, 2013, the government has not done it, he said, adding that the authorities were also sitting idle on the proposal sent by the Transport Commissioner office to revise fares and draft aggregators rules.

Also Read: Auto-rickshaw fares to increase in Tamil Nadu from February 1

After the Madras High Court issued an order in February to revise the auto fares, the government formed an inter-departmental panel headed by a Joint Commissioner (Enforcement), which heard the unions’ views on May 12 and the passengers’ association the next day. The Transport Commissionerate then submitted an auto fare revision proposal to the government for its approval.

When asked, a senior official told DT Next that the proposal was awaiting the government's approval. On the cab aggregators rules, the official said it was also pending with the state government for its approval.

"If we receive any complaints of excessive fare collected by auto rickshaws, we will take action on the drivers," the official warned.