Ola, Uber Strike in Bengaluru: App-Based Taxi Aggregators Will Stay Off-Road on September 30

Bengaluru, September 24: People in Bengaluru will have a tough time commuting as Ola and Uber may remain off the road on September 30. According to an Indian Express report, the Namma Chalakara Trade Union, comprising of 3,000 members, will hold a strike from 9 am to 4 pm on September 30.  The reason for the strike is to urge the Karnataka government to regulate the app-based taxi aggregators to bring in new rules to favour drivers

The Union founder and President Somashekhar K as quoted in the report said, “ Our earnings have dropped after the companies started offering own vehicles to drivers on lease. Hence we request the government to bring in new rules allowing us to operate on the model of auto-rickshaws by installing fare meters.”

The call for the strike comes a few days after Uber released data that claimed that 40 percent of all rides requested during rush hour in Bengaluru go unfulfilled, primarily due to long wait times. Ola And Uber's Car Pooling Model at Risk After Centre Drafts New Guidelines And Wants States to Earn Some Revenue From It.

In another report, the Road Transport Ministry has drafted basic guidelines for ride-sharing by private car owners, which will require KYC for users and limit the maximum number of rides taken per day to four. The intention of the centre is to see that carpooling is done on a no-profit and no-loss basis and the states get some revenue from the model.

Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, cleared by the Rajya Sabha, for the first time recognises cab aggregators as digital intermediaries or marketplaces. Earlier, the rules did not recognise cab aggregators as separate entities, causing firms such as Uber and Ola to operate in a grey zone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2019 01:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).