According to sources, the ongoing protest in areas such as Rajarathinam Station, Azhumbur, Chennai, saw around 500-1,000 drivers participating, with more expected to join on Tuesday.
“These companies are charging a 30-35% commission rate, which leaves us with a very small amount. The cab fares are also quite low,” said an Uber driver who is part of the protest. He has been working with the ride-hailing firm for four years.
The top demands of the drivers include an increase in fares, more frequent ride opportunities and a ban on bike taxis.
There have been demands for a ban on bike taxi services in Chennai as they have gained more traction among commuters. It is also a relatively cheaper option for commuters than hailing a cab.
On June 12, the Supreme Court overturned a Delhi High Court ruling that had permitted companies like Uber, Rapido and other two-wheeler bike taxi services to function in New Delhi.
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“When we talk about banning bike taxi services, we are asking for action to be taken against the aggregators and not the drivers. The drivers do not know the rules, the aggregators do. We want the bike taxi services that are not registered as commercial vehicles to stop operating,” said Shaik Salauddin, national general secretary, Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers (IFAT).Ola and Uber did not respond to ET’s email queries.
Top consumer internet firms across food and grocery delivery, ride-hailing are seeing protests from delivery executives and driver partners demanding better pay and other incentives. On October 8, food delivery executives went on strike in Mumbai affecting delivery services across the city, ET had reported.
In April, delivery workers of Zomato-owned quick commerce platform Blinkit had gone on strike after the company changed its payout system from a flat Rs 25 per delivery (plus Rs 7 during peak hours) to a Rs 15 per delivery minimum fee along with a distance-based component.
The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023, passed in the state assembly in July, is widely considered to be the first law of its kind in the country to protect gig workers.
