After a week-long protest and a hunger strike, the Transport Commissioner, K Ayyappa held a meeting on Monday with the drivers, and the Ola and Uber representatives to sort out the on-going conflict between the two parties.
Ayyappa has instructed the cab aggregators to sort out the issue within a week and to stop imposing fines on drivers for cancelling rides.
The Transport Commissioner also asked the cab aggregating companies to stop leasing out vehicles, stating that it was unfair to the driver-partners.
“Ayyappa said that penalties must be imposed for serious issues like misbehaviour and a minimum fare has been fixed, and the cab aggregators must implement the new fare system,” Tanveer Pasha, president of Ola and Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Union said.
The Union’s President was not happy with the Transport Commissioner’s decision to give the companies more time. “We just wanted them to implement the fare prices prescribed in the regulations and also for them to reduce the 30% commission rate. We also want them to hike the fares for rides to the airport and also reimburse the toll charges we pay,” Pasha added.
The Union head said that the drivers are tired of giving the companies chances to correct their policies. “We will start our own app and then we will not have to worry about incentives, share rides, unnecessary penalties, monthly targets and commission cuts,” Pasha said.
However, in a move to appease the driver-partners, Uber has introduced a new policy for its customers.
Uber has decided to deactivate the app for customers who drink, smoke, vomit and abuse the driver.
According to an Uber release, these guidelines are important as the “drivers do more than simply drive. They share their cars, their space and their time with the passengers. We all know drivers who go above and beyond to create a five-star experience for their riders: from helping an elderly person get into and out of the car to offering water for the trip, or making sure that riders get home safely after a night out,” Uber’s statement said.
Some customers leave trash in the car, throw up in the back seat after consuming too much alcohol and even urge the driver to break the speed limit. “This kind of poor behaviour is not OK, which is why we will take action against passengers who are rude, abusive or violent,” the release said.