New Delhi: App-based ride-hailing services across India may face significant disruption on Saturday, February 7, as drivers or riders working with platforms including Uber, Ola and Rapido have called a nationwide strike. The strike has been organised by Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) along with other labour bodies.
In a social media post announcing the protest, the union wrote: “App-based transport workers across India will observe an All India Breakdown on 7 Feb 26. No minimum fares. No regulation. Endless exploitation.”
Why Drivers Are Striking
In a letter to the road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, as reported by Hindustan Times, the union has flagged some ‘long-pending’ issues. They alleged that there were no government-fixed fare systems for riders working for Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter and other aggregator platforms operating autos, cabs and bike taxis, companies decide fares on their own, the report states. They alleged facing severe income insecurity and exploitation.
Know their demands
They have raised the following demands:
- Immediate notification of minimum base fares by the Central and state governments for app-based transport services. These include autos, cabs, bike taxis and other aggregator-based services. These fares should be finalised after consultation with recognised driver and worker unions, in line with the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025.
- A strict ban on the use of private, non-commercial vehicles for commercial passenger and goods transport, or the compulsory conversion of such vehicles into the commercial category, in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act, the Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, and related rules.
