Ola, Uber cab drivers on strike for second day, commuters hit

NEWDELHI: Commuting across DelHI-NCR was hit for the second day in a row on Friday as app-based taxi drivers continued their strike against the major online taxi aggregators — Ola and Uber.

Several commuters complained of fewer cabs and longer waiting times across Delhi. Other commuters said that some drivers were cancelling rides despite having bookings.

Reports of cab drivers being stopped by protesting drivers came in from across NCR, affecting the few passengers who were able to avail the service.

“I am one of those unfortunate people who got affected by the strike. Usually I book the cab for going to work. But on Friday, I had to take an auto-rickshaw as either cabs weren’t available or their waiting time was very high. Autorickshaw drivers refused to go by the meter, taking advantage of the situation. I had no choice but to oblige,” said Pratik Kumar, a resident of Lajpat Nagar.

Officials from the Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association said their call for strike by drivers of mobile-based cab aggregators was partially observed. Earlier they had planned for a complete shutdown of cab services, however, a handful of cabs were seen plying.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Ola said the strike did not impact their services.

An Uber spokesperson said, “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.”

The cab drivers have been protesting against their parent firms over the alleged low pay and the ban of shared cabs.