Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Online Drivers’ United Forum has called a 12-hour statewide bandh on Monday in protest against online taxi companies. The shutdown, supported by 21 organisations, is expected to be particularly strong in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and other districts across the state.
The forum has demanded either a complete ban on online taxi aggregators such as Ola, Uber, Rapido and Odisha Yatiri, or strict government control over their fare structures.
According to key demands of the forum, the government and online taxi companies should jointly set a fixed fare range. No company should be allowed to charge below or above this limit. Any discounts or offers given to customers must be borne by the company itself and not deducted from drivers’ earnings.
Drivers’ accounts should not be blocked without proper investigation or evidence. Companies currently charge fines to unblock accounts. The forum has demanded the immediate unblocking of all accounts that were suspended without inquiry and an end to such arbitrary actions.
When customers make the vehicle wait for personal work, shopping, pharmacy visits or other reasons, drivers must receive appropriate waiting charges. Besides, drivers should be paid extra for the time lost when vehicles remain stuck in traffic jams.
“If a customer cancels a ride after the driver has already travelled 2–3 km, the company collects a cancellation fee but does not pass it on to the driver. This causes financial loss, including fuel costs. The entire cancellation fee must be given to the driver”, read their demand.
Every app-based aggregator operating in Odisha must be required to maintain at least one physical office in the state. The forum has also alleged that drivers working through middlemen are being exploited.
It further claimed that the uncontrolled addition of new vehicles by companies has disturbed the demand-supply balance, severely affecting the income of existing drivers. The organisation has demanded an immediate halt to new vehicle attachments and the introduction of a limited annual target for adding vehicles.
The bandh call is aimed at pressuring the state government and online taxi companies to address these long-standing issues faced by online cab drivers in Odisha.
