Bandh hits Uber, Ola services in Hyderabad

The six-day strike by cab drivers in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, has severely disrupted the cab-hailing services of Uber and Ola as it entered the third day on Monday.

The Telangana Cabs Drivers and Owners Association (TCDOA) has claimed that the bandh is complete.

“We have exempted when it is being used for official (government) purposes and by families that hired the cabs for emergency needs,” Shiva Vulkundakar, President of the TCDOA, told BusinessLine .

Uber has admitted that the services have been disrupted. Refusing to put a number to it, Uber alleged that the disruption was forceful and “a small group of people” was responsible for it.

“We condemn the forceful disruption to our services in Hyderabad by a small group of people who have threatened drivers and damaged vehicles, inconveniencing riders and preventing people from earning a livelihood,” a spokesperson of Uber said, responding to a query on the impact of the bandh.

“We remain committed to serving the city, and call upon authorities to ensure safety and continued operation of our services so that we can keep Hyderabad moving,” the spokesperson said.

Both the apps are either showing ‘no cabs’ or hinting at longer waiting periods in several areas, forcing the users to take to other modes of transportation. “There are 1,500 teams positioned in different localities checking on the services,” he said.

An Uber driver said the protesters have been looking on the consumer app whether any cabs are available, booking them for a ride and, when it arrives, asking their peer to join the bandh.

The association, which has about 7,000 members, has roped in smaller associations in the twin cities to press for their demands.

The bandh, which started on the midnight of December 30, will lass till January 4. The drivers have been demanding for immediate halt to on-boarding of new cabs into the network, as it is severely impacting their business. There are over 1 lakh cabs in the cities under the Uber and Ola networks.

“While we are not getting enough business to meet our costs, they are offering attractive offers to new comers. They are giving new vehicles by paying about ₹35,000 of down payment. A good number of them are finding it difficult to pay their EMIs,” he said.

While demanding scrapping of shared services, the association called for an assurance to provide a minimum business for drivers with at least 12 trips in the non-peak hours. They also want to revise the fare for airport trips.

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