No end in sight for Ola, Uber driver stir

BENGALURU: Commuters in Mumbai may not get any respite soon as the strike by Ola and Uber drivers will enter its second week. For the cab aggregating platforms, this could also mean a hit to business given the importance of the market, analysts said.

The Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh, which called the strike due to falling driver incomes, said it will continue the protest on Monday and until “demands are met”. It said 90% of the cabs were off the roads.

“We will take out a morcha on Monday from Andheri in front of Ola’s office,” said Sunil Borkar, secretary of the association, who added that the association is also calling for a meeting with the chief minister. “Several drivers have committed suicide because their income is falling and they are not able to repay loans. We will not end the strike till the demands are met,” he said.

Uber had last week approached the Bombay High Court, citing violence against its drivers from those holding the strike, and asked it to direct authorities to ensure their safety. “Mumbai is among the top five markets for both cab companies,” said Jaspal Singh, founder of Valoriser Consultants, a transportation consulting firm. “Taxi unions are very strong in Mumbai, which is one of the reasons for this long strike,” he said.