Drivers of taxi aggregators Ola and Uber in the Delhi-NCR region have been on strike since Tuesday to demand the extension of the moratorium on loan repayments and an increase in fares in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. .
About two lakh taxi drivers have called for a strike because their calls have led to no action by the government, said Kamaljeet Singh Gill, president of the Delhi Sarvodaya Drivers Association, a trade union of Ola-Uber drivers.
“Due to the acute financial crisis caused by the lockdown, drivers cannot pay their EMI. The loan repayment moratorium ended today and the banks are already putting pressure on us. Drivers are afraid banks will recall their vehicles for not paying EMIs, ”Gill said Monday.
Drivers are demanding the removal of e-challans issued against their vehicles for speeding, according to a pamphlet distributed by them. They also want a higher commission from taxi aggregators while traveling between Delhi and NCR destinations such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon.
Both Ola and Uber have so far not reacted to the strike call given by drivers.
The strike call comes at a time when other public transport systems, such as the metro, are not operational and buses are operating at reduced capacity.
“Most drivers have a hard time feeding their families right now and don’t have the means to meet their financial obligations. Unless the government helps us, there is no way we can work without fear of losing our vehicles, “said Gill.
As part of the protest plan, taxi drivers will gather near Himachal Bhawan at Mandi House on Tuesday to seek government action on their demands.
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