Uber crisis stares in Ola users’ face

Commuters taking Ola, Uber are likely to face a tough time as cab drivers have threatened to go on an indefinite strike in key cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune from March 19.

The drivers claimed that the cab aggregators reneged on big assurances and now they are even unable to cover their costs. “They have invested Rs 5 to 7 lakh, and were expecting to make Rs 1.5 lakh/month to service their debts, but they are unable to even make half of this, owing to the mismanagement by these companies,” Sanjay Naik of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena, who is organising the strike, said.

Naik alleged these taxi-hailing companies are giving priority to company-owned cars over driver-owned vehicles, causing a slump in their business. While the companies offered loan-guarantee letters to drivers through the Mudra scheme and that too without any verification, they are defaulting on repayment now as their costs are not covered, he claimed.

“If our demands are not met, we will go on an indefinite strike,” he said, adding the drivers had approached MNS leader Raj Thackeray to intervene in the matter.

Other unions of Ola and Uber are also in support of the strike, Naik said.

While Ola declined to comment, an Uber spokesperson termed the strike call as speculative.