JOIN USDrivers associated with Ola and Uber, who held another meeting with officials of the Transport Department on Tuesday, said they have lost hope of finding solutions to their problems and have decided to go ahead with their plan to form their own app-based cab aggregator platform.
Drivers had held a week-long strike urging Ola and Uber to increase incentives, cut earning targets and stop adding more vehicles to their platforms. “We hoped the Transport Department will solve our problems. But officials say they can’t intervene in the issue. So we have decided to form our own platform,” said Kiran Gowda, leader of a drivers’ union.
Officials, however, said they can’t intervene in the matter since a case involving the cab aggregators is pending in the high court.
There were rumours that the new platform will be called ‘HDK Cabs’, named after former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who has been supporting the protesting drivers. However, Gowda said such a name would have political overtones and even the JD(S) leader would not allow it. “We are tentatively calling it Taxi for Ride. We have already got an app. But are waiting for investors within the state. We turned away investors from outside since we don’t feel secure,” said Gowda, who claims to have support of 5,000 drivers.