Cough up more for Ola/Uber

Mumbaikars may have to shell out more to travel in Ola and Uber, as their fares are likely to increase by 25-59 per cent, depending on the vehicle booked by a passenger.

Some demands were accepted after a meeting between unions representing drivers and representatives from Ola and Uber and police officers.

Sunil Borkar, Secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh (MRRKS), said, “80 per cent demands have been accepted, which include hike in fares since the cost of living and fuel prices have spiralled over the months. But we will continue with the strike until the state transport minister approves of these changes.”

The present fare structure lacks clarity on base fare of mobile aggregators, while

subsequent per km fare on an average ranges from Rs 8, Rs 12 or Rs 16 depending on the vehicle --- regular cars, sedans, or hatchbacks. Prashant Sarvedekar, head of Ola Uber Unit, MRRKS, said, “The demand of subsequent fare per km of Rs 12, Rs 15 and Rs 19 has been accepted by companies.” The unions had demanded Rs 18, Rs 20 and Rs 23, respectively.Also there is an agreement to reinstate drivers who have been blacklisted by companies. These are the people against whom complaints had been made by passengers over several issues, be it rude behaviour, cancellation of rides, etc. Unions also claimed that until the government agrees on paper, their strike will continue.

An Uber spokesperson in his statement said, “Uber acknowledges that the ongoing strike in Mumbai has caused significant hardship to riders and its driver partners, most of whom want to drive but have been intimidated from doing so. Uber is proactively exploring all possible options to restore services and best support to our driver partners. In this respect, we engaged with relevant stakeholders today to solve the impasse. We wish to reassure city authorities, our driver partners and riders that restoring services at the earliest remains our highest priority.”