Uber seeks ₹12cr in damages from groups that called for strike
Uber has approached the Bombay high court seeking Rs12 crore in damages from various tourist vehicle associations and taxi drivers’ associations that called for a strike in March this year against app-based taxi service providers .
In a suit filed in March, Uber said that the associations forced Uber drivers to stay off the roads, threatened them, and jeopardised public order and passenger safety.
It also alleged that such associations, by calling for repeated strikes, and threatening its drivers, are trying to coerce Uber into changing its business model. The suit stated that their actions are illegal and affects the rights of Uber and its drivers to free trade as a livelihood.
The suit refers to one strike in the city on March 8 by the Sangharsh Tourist Chalak Malak Sangh, an association of taxi owners and drivers; Action Committee of Maharashtra against Ola and Uber; Mumbai Vikas Foundation; All Drivers Welfare Association; and Maharashtra Tourist Permit Union.”
It claims that on the said day, these associations ‘prevented Uber drivers from plying their cars, issued open threats to them, and even forced passengers out of the vehicles .
They abused, assaulted and threatened the drivers of dire consequences,” the suit claims.
Uber claims to have produced evidence of at least 830 com plaints recorded by its drivers against the associations on the day of the strike.
The strike, it claims, caused its business to dip by ‘45%’.
It claims that its current fare/ remuneration model is backed by most of its driver partners and this, it is apparent that the “actions of the other associations is motivated and has an ulterior motive.”
The suit also claims that simi lar incidents of violence occurred in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delh and it filed civil suits in those cases too, and managed to secure interim relief, injunctions in some of those cases. The HC, too has granted an injunction to Uber and restrained other taxi drivers associations from disrupting Uber’s services.