Spirited Delhiites make the best of cabbies' strike

Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a disgruntled commuter. This is the message that ingenious residents of Delhi-NCR want to give to striking Ola-Uber drivers and opportunistic auto-rickshaw drivers. Meanwhile, the strike of the cabbies entered its sixth day on Wednesday.

The working Delhiites have brought car-pooling back in fashion. A lot of professionals, who are major consumers of shared taxis launched by app-based aggregators Ola and Uber, are now hitching a ride with neighbours or co-workers. Owing to the cheap rates offered by these companies, sometimes as low as Rs40 for a 12km ride, people had taken to shared cabs in a big way.

"It was a lot cheaper than even a car pool. With no word on when this strike would end, however, I have started going with my neighbour again. He works in Connaught Place (CP) and my office is in Barakhamba. Though economically it is less viable compared to a shared taxi, it is still better than taking an individual cab from some other operator or facing the rush hour in Metro," says Sanjeev Singh Ahlawat, a private professional.

For others such as software engineer Anurag Rastogi, car pooling has brought in a wave of nostalgia and 'boys' bonhomie'. "I used to go to work with a friend till I started using shared taxis. Our rides were full of friendly banter, exchanging notes, and bonding. Once I started going on my own, from meeting twice every day, we started seeing each other only once in a fortnight . In a way, I am happy that we are getting to spend more time together again," he says.

Then there are those who believe in turning life's lemons into lemonade. Instead of focussing on the inconvenience caused by the strike, many have taken this as an opportunity to get fit and healthy. As a result, cycling and even walking to the workplace are emerging as preferred means of transport.

Saad Ali, a freelance writer and photographer, now cycles to his assignments, in a bid to get 'back in shape' and to avoid the headache of haggling with auto drivers. "The autowallahs here are infamous for charging unfairly.

They are now making a killing because they know that we need them for commuting. These louts are openly arm-twisting us into paying whatever they want. So, I decided to pedal rather than go through unnecessary arguments with auto drivers," he reasons Ali.

Satrud Tomar, mass media professor at a private institute, is also making the best use of '11 number ki bus', as he calls his two legs. "I walk daily to my office, which is 10km from my house. My colleagues call me crazy but I love doing it. Apart from the fitness part, it helps me clear my head. I am happy to manoeuvre in the lanes of Delhi again," he says.

Protest Day 6

The cabbies strike entered into the sixth day on Wednesday. The drivers have been protesting for a base fare hike. According to a statement issued by Ola, however, drivers have been gradually getting back to work on the platform over the last 48 hours. Meanwhile, the situation remained difficult due to unavailability of cabs. "While booking, the app shows a waiting time of at least 20 minutes, and then the booking eventually gets cancelled," said Saket resident Vijay Kumar, whose office is in Gurugram. Several hundreds of drivers, under the leadership of the Sarvodaya Drivers Association of Delhi (SADD), had launched a strike demanding Rs 21 per kilometre base fare in comparison to the present Rs 6 per kilometre, claiming that their earnings have been reduced drastically after the companies cancelled their perks.