San Francisco-based ride-hailing company Uber got an injunction from the high court here on Monday to stop protesting drivers from disrupting its service in the city, its largest market in the country.
Several thousand drivers attached to Uber and rival platform Ola have been protesting since last Wednesday against falling earnings, as the two companies have reduced incentive payouts to drivers. The protesters have also resorted to stopping cabs that continue to ply.
Welcoming the court ruling, Uber urged police to effectively enforce it. “We welcome the court’s order and hope that it will enable drivers to get back behind the wheel, something many have been telling us they wish to do. We now request police to effectively enforce the court order, take action against people carrying out illegal acts and ensure the safety of our riders and driver partners,” an Uber spokesperson said in an email.
The court has ordered Uber and Ola to settle issues with the drivers within eight weeks. The two companies have not acknowledged the demands of drivers’ unions or associations to avoid giving them any form of credibility. The unions and their supporters called for an indefinite strike in Bengaluru last week and as the issue gets more polarised, the instances of violence are on the rise.
Associations such as the Ola, TaxiForSure and Uber (OTU) Drivers and Owners Association, which claims representation of 25,000 drivers in Bengaluru, is seeking legitimacy through political support. H D Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) has already extended its support to the association, which is also seeking the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) backing. “We have met Shobha Karandlaje (BJP MP) and she has promised she will take up our issue with Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari,” said Tanveer Pasha, president of OTU Drivers and Owners Association. “We are also going to meet (Karnataka BJP leaders) B S Yeddyurappa and K S Eshwarappa on Tuesday.”
On Monday, reports of a driver being assaulted by protesters in the Sampangirama Nagar locality of Bengaluru came to light. Pasha, however, denied the role of member drivers in the incident, and alleged the involvement of Uber and Ola in this to win favour of the court and the local police.
“They (Uber and Ola) are not ready to solve this issue. They think they can put such case on us, and not do anything so other drivers will come back on the road,” added Pasha.