Ola, Uber Mumbai Strike: Commuters Suffer For Fourth Day, Drivers Plan Sit-In At Azad Maidan

Commuters in Mumbai faced difficulties for the fourth consecutive day as a large section of Ola and Uber cab drivers continued their strike on July 18, demanding fare regulation. Passengers have been left stranded, particularly at airports and railway stations. The strike has now spread to Pune and Nagpur as well.

The protest is expected to intensify, with a sit-in demonstration planned at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai today at 10 a.m., according to Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha president Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, who shared the update on Instagram.

Their key demands include —rationalisation of fares, parity of fares with metered cabs, a firm 'no' to bike taxis, a cap on cab and auto permits, activation of the welfare board for cab and taxi drivers and implementation of the Maharashtra Gig Workers’ Act.

The Mumbai airport authorities have advised people to check transport options before travelling.

Meanwhile, on Thursday Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik appealed to the citizens to register complaints regarding auto-rickshaws, taxis, Ola, Uber, and similar passenger vehicles. "I appeal to the citizens of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to register complaints regarding auto-rickshaws, taxis, Ola, Uber, and similar passenger vehicles by calling the toll-free number '1800220110,' as informed in the Legislative Council," the Minister said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sarnaik met cab driver union at Vidhan Sabha and promised to come up with a solution in 15 days.

In addition to opposing cab aggregators, Kshirsagar has also highlighted ongoing traffic fines imposed on Ola and Uber. According to him, under the current situation, it is illegal to operate platforms like Ola, Uber, and Rapido in Maharashtra, with fines exceeding Rs 1.5 lakh.

"We are raising awareness about this spontaneous shutdown. If police officials ask for information, show them this letter," Kshirsagar said via his Instagram post.

There have been multiple reports of passengers being asked to de-board across Mumbai. In some instances, verified by NDTV Profit, cab drivers were threatened and asked to deboard passengers.

Just like the initial days of the strike, social media has been flooded with instances and complaints about delay in getting cabs, cancellation and deboarding.