Auto, taxi strike in Delhi hits commuters hard

Taxi and auto unions in New Delhi have gone on an indefinite strike against app-based taxi aggregators. Almost 85,000 auto-rickshaws and 15,000 yellow- black taxis went off the road as demand for the app-based taxis went up. They also claim that auto union may jump in to support their fight. The unions alleged that the Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, had given the autorickshaw unions assurance that action would be taken against the taxi aggregators but the services are still on. He, however, said in case the Delhi government wants to talk to them, it can send its representative at New Delhi Railway Station where the drivers will be staging the protest. The city taxi rivals believe that despite of not having permit to run taxis in Delhi, Ola-Uber are operating fearlessly and taking away their livelihoods.

Said a statement issued by the joint action committee of the auto taxi union, “Autorickshaw and taxi drivers will go on a strike from July 26 if the demands made by the unions are not met by the Delhi government”.

The battle has now reached the political corridors, as some of these taxi unions are said to be affiliated to major political parties including BJP and Congress.

Commuters in the Mumbai may face trouble in the coming days as taxi drivers have chose to go on an indefinite strike from Tuesday to protest against cab aggregators like Ola and Uber.

The strike, said a member of the joint action committee, is against the government’s “refusal” to crack down on the app-based taxi services.

“The government has assured us on several occasions it will take action against these services but it has not fulfilled its commitment so far”, said Mr Soni, whose unions are backed by the RSS.

A Delhi government spokesperson said it had written to the Centre demanding that the server of Uber be blocked. “Ola and Uber surge their fares when they feel necessary and ply without any permits”.