After failing to get relief from cab-aggregating companies and the Transport Department, Ola and Uber drivers in Bengaluru are now mulling launch of their own app. According to a report of iGyaan, some drivers have extended their full-fledged backing to the idea, while others are still apprehensive about the move. Nearly 8,000 cabbies are supposedly supporting the move. Ola and Uber are now planning to reach directly to the consumers for taxi bookings and others.
According to a report of Times of India, Tanveer Pasha, President, Uber, TaxiForSure and Ola Drivers and Owners Association said that the app will be ready in a month.
“HD Kumaraswamy, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka has offered his support for the project. At present we are working on logistics like office space and hiring people for customer service among other things”, Pasha added.
The new initiative
The app will be funded by Kumaraswamy and he has assured assistance in hiring engineers to develop the app. A new union of drivers from Uber and Ola has been created, and they are all set to defy the established taxi-apps for their business. According to Pasha, around 50% of drivers from his Union has refused to login on the Uber and Ola apps, and the rest 50% who are actually logging in, are stuck with financial liabilities, and they are compelled to use the app for paying installments.
What’s so far?
Uber and Ola drivers decided to start a strike in February due to slashed incentives, high commission rates, long-working hours and less income. The strike affected the metro cities, with cab fares and demand of cabs touching bizarre heights. Though , now many of the protesting drivers at Ola and Uber in Delhi and Bengaluru have called off their recent strike.
Viability of the idea
The idea of introducing an app can act as a breakthrough. 8000 cab drivers are in favour of the idea. According to some media reports, such initiatives were taken up even in past but didn’t receive prodigious response. Uber and Ola in Kerala announced the launch of their own app for taking bookings but the idea didn’t go any further. Mumbai’s taxi unions also decided to launch an app through which users could book black and yellow cabs back in January 2016 but failed due to indolent response from commuters.