New Delhi/Gurgaon/Noida: The strike called on Friday in Delhi-NCR by cabbies registered with
app-based aggregators was nothing like how it had affected Mumbai earlier in the week.
Other than increasing waiting time after a booking, the strike had little impact on life in Delhi and its neighbouring cities, Gurgaon and Noida. There were no reports of violence but fewer taxis hit the road fearing vandalism, the kind seen during a strike called last year, pushing up ETAs on the app. The only instance when cops had to intervene was at Sector 75 in Noida in the morning when a group of cabbies tried to stop others from working. They stood down after a commuter dialled the police and they warned against any disruptions. The union said around 400 drivers from Gautam Budh Nagar joined the strike, which was why Noida felt the impact more than Delhi and Gurgaon.
Among the cabbies’ main demands is a better margin from the
aggregators on their earnings. The Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (
SDAD) and other drivers’ unions went on a march near Rajghat on Friday morning to press for their demands.
Commuters trying to travel between Delhi and
NCR cities faced more problems than those traveling within the capital because cabbies were unsure about the ground situation in Haryana and UP. “I usually book a cab to reach my Gurgaon office from my residence in Vasant Kunj. On Friday morning, it turned into a test of patience,” said Aslesha, who works for a Gurgaon-based MNC. “I started booking at 7.40 am but the moment a driver would be assigned the trip, he would call to say he wouldn’t be able to come and cancel the trip. I finally managed to get a cab at 8.20 am.”
“I usually get a cab within 10 minutes but on Friday, the cab arrived nearly 45 minutes after booking,” said Tuhin Das, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad.
An
Uber spokesperson said its services were largely normal. “While some areas in the city may have experienced longer than usual wait times at different points during the day, Uber services have largely been normal. We regret the inconvenience to riders who experienced longer waiting times (ETAs) in certain parts of the city. We remain committed to ensuring driver partners can continue to access stable earning opportunities and keep Delhi NCR moving,” said the spokesperson.
An
Ola spokesperson said Friday was “business as usual for us in Delhi-NCR”.
SDAD chief Kamaljeet Gill said, “We have submitted a memorandum of our demands to the Delhi CM and the transport minister’s office.” He said the drivers’ association is demanding that fares for app-based aggregators be fixed and the companies should take only 10% commission from drivers. “We also want pool and share services to be banned as it leads to all kinds of passengers getting into the cab, which leads to unpleasant situations.” He said SDAD is in talks with associations from other states and the next step would be decided in 15 days. The Ola drivers' strike in Mumbai was called off on Wednesday, followed by Uber drivers calling their protest off on Thursday.
