App-based taxi drivers not to observe strike today

 

 

 

While a delegation of app-based taxi drivers were busy meeting government officers in Mumbai till late evening on Tuesday, many agitating drivers here in the city told The Hitavada that they will not observe the strike on Wednesday. The drivers said that the companies, against whom they were agitating, have accepted their main demand of hike in rates. In a video message, Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, President of the Maharashtra Gig Kamgar Manch, said the Ola, Uber and Rapido companies have agreed to pay desired rates to the cab drivers. “However, there are still many other points which are not clear for which the discussion is still going.

 

Apart from this, the company representatives have verbally agreed to pay the increased rates. But we want this in black and white,” he highlighted. The cab drivers had launched the agitation on July 15 and observed bandh on July 18. After the one-day bandh, the drivers had suspended the strike and gave time to the Maharashtra government to respond to their demands. In the meanwhile, the app-based taxi drivers attached to Ola and Uber and Rapido have started charging fares as per their own terms from the passengers. The cab drivers had also threatened to observe an indefinite hunger strike from Wednesday in all parts of the State.

 

Deepak Sane, one of the drivers, said the drivers have decided not to observe a strike on Wednesday. “We have been told that the companies are ready to charge as per the Government approved rates. There are many other demands of the drivers. We will have to wait for it,” he said. The cab drivers have been fighting for the past many days. On many occasions, they met the District Collector and other authorities but nothing had happened. However, on this occasion, app-based cab drivers across the State fought jointly. The drivers have been alleging that companies such as Ola, Uber and Rapido have been exploiting them for the past four to five years.