Bhubaneswar, Aug. 17 (UDN): Online cab drivers across Odisha have called a 12-hour statewide bandh on Monday, demanding government intervention in the functioning of app-based taxi aggregators and regulation of fares.
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The protest has been organised by the Odisha Online Drivers’ United Forum and is supported by 21 organisations. The bandh is expected to have a significant impact in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and several other parts of the state.
Demand for Fare Regulation
The drivers’ forum has demanded either a complete ban on online taxi aggregators such as Ola, Uber, Rapido and Odisha Yatiri, or strict government regulation of their fare structures.
One of the key demands is the introduction of a fixed fare range jointly determined by the government and aggregators. Drivers want companies to be prohibited from charging fares below or above the prescribed range.
The forum has also demanded that promotional discounts offered to passengers should be absorbed by the companies and should not be deducted from drivers’ earnings.
Drivers Raise Account Suspension, Waiting Charges Issues
The drivers have opposed the alleged arbitrary suspension of driver accounts. They have demanded that no account should be blocked without a proper inquiry and supporting evidence.
The forum has also sought the immediate restoration of accounts suspended without investigation and an end to fines allegedly imposed for reactivating such accounts.
Another major demand concerns waiting charges. Drivers want to be compensated when passengers keep vehicles waiting for personal errands such as shopping, pharmacy visits or other work. They have also demanded additional compensation for time lost in prolonged traffic congestion.
The forum has further sought the full transfer of cancellation charges to drivers when passengers cancel rides after the driver has already travelled a significant distance.
Call to Regulate New Vehicle Additions
The organisation has demanded that every app-based taxi aggregator operating in Odisha maintain at least one physical office in the state.
It has also raised concerns over the alleged exploitation of drivers through middlemen and the increasing number of vehicles being added to online platforms.
According to the forum, the unrestricted addition of new vehicles has disturbed the demand-supply balance and reduced the earnings of existing drivers. It has therefore called for a temporary halt to new vehicle attachments and sought a regulated annual limit on the addition of vehicles.
Through the statewide bandh, the drivers are seeking immediate discussions with the Odisha government and online taxi companies to resolve what they describe as long-standing concerns over fares, earnings, account suspensions and working conditions.