Driver thrashed for ferrying passengers amid indefinite strike of Ola, Uber cabbies

Photo: A man hits a poster of Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO and co-founder of Ola (Reuters)

MUMBAI: Drivers of cab aggregators Ola and Uber have been protesting demanding higher fares to meet the rising fuel costs. The drivers also held strikes in Delhi and Mumbai to make their demands heard. 

Said to be from one such strike, a video has gone viral in which drivers reportedly associated with Ola can be seen thrashing and abusing another driver. The victim reportedly had been working during the indefinite strike that has been called by the drivers.

After the video was widely shared, a case has been registered against the accused. 

Hundreds of drivers have been protesting for increased earnings and a better work schedule. They have been on strike since October 22. The demands are amid the rising fuel prices. 

Fuel prices in India have risen more than 20 per cent since the start of the year but drivers say fares have not grown at the same rate, making it difficult for them to meet expenses despite working longer hours.

"The companies don't understand the issues drivers face ... they have reduced fares when they should be paying a higher rate," said Sunil Borkar, secretary at Mumbai taxi drivers` union Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh had earlier said. 

Borkar said there have been calls from some drivers for an indefinite strike in Mumbai until demands for higher fares are met but remained unsure about how many drivers would eventually join the strike. 

At a protest outside offices in Mumbai last week, dozens of drivers held up placards with messages including "Uber go back" and "Ola is the biggest thief" while shouting slogans against them. 

Protestors were even seen angrily beating a poster of Ola's founder Bhavish Aggarwal with a pair of slippers. Some drivers who were still ferrying passengers were pulled up by protesters and asked to stop working. 

In a setback for drivers, their incomes have plunged over the past two years after Uber and Ola cut incentives to boost profitability. When incentives were high many drivers quit well-paying jobs and took out loans to buy cars in the hope of higher earnings. As more drivers joined the platforms and the supply of cars increased, the companies started scaling back on incentives. 

Some drivers say they are forced to work for up to 16 hours a day to make enough to pay interest on their loans, meet expenses and provide for their families.