Pics: Daya Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, Oct 24: Dakshina Kannada district online taxi drivers and owners association held protests in front of Manasa Towers at PVS Circle in city on Saturday, October 24, urging Ola online taxi company to relieve the operators from hardship and condemning the stand taken by the company with regard to the operators.

Honourary president B K Imthiaz addressing the protesters said that Ola online taxi service was started nine months ago and more than two hundred taxies are registered under it. “The company initially had made an agreement for paying Rs 32,000 for 3,000 kilometres for mini taxies and Rs 36,000 for 3,000 kilometres for Sedan vehicles.

The company had also issued a letter to the banks as a guarantee that the vehicles will be under the company agreement for the next three years. However, as the company changed the rates and adopted a system of payment based on bookings, the Taxi operators are incurring loss and their life is faced with hardship,” Imthiaz said.

“The operators are working facing oppression in the airport, railway stations and such other places. With the new rates, the operators can earn only Rs 700 in a day even if they work for 24 hours. They have to spend for diesel, driver’s salary, vehicle maintenance, bank loan and company's commission of Rs 21% out of it. Those who bought vehicles borrowing bank loan were unable to repay the loan instalments for the last three months. Even though several meetings were held to solve the problem, the response was not satisfactory”, he added.

CITU secretary Yogish Jappinamogaru speaking on the occasion said that the Taxi drivers and owners had to protest due to company's policy. CITU also will support the future protests if the company does not respond positively, he said.

Chief Secretary of the association, Sadik Kannur, treasurer Aravind, joint secretary Nelson Pinto, Shakir Kannur, Vice president Abubakar, Elias and Mohammed Rafiq were present.

A meeting of the office bearers of the association and the Ola company staff was held after the protest as demanded by the association. The protesters submitted their demands in the meeting. However the meeting was a failure as the company officials did not agree to the demands.

“The company is saying that they will pay Rs 7,000 in a week for 40 bookings. It is not possible to get that many bookings for each one. At the most, they get work only for three days. However the company adds that also and deducts 21% commission. What is the use of us working then? So we have logged out from Aap" said the Taxi drivers.

“The company is formed in order to provide good service to the customers. The rates in the rate card are reduced to Rs 49 in order to be helpful to the customers. We have arranged for better results to drivers and owners. We guarantee that there is no loss in the present arrangement. However only Bengaluru team can decide about all the demands." said Sooraj Karkera, Manager Operations from Ola.