Mumbai: Striking drivers of Ola, Uber to hit streets along with families in protest

Almost a week after being off roads, Uber and Ola drivers on Sunday, announced that they will be hitting the roads along with their family members on Monday, to protest against low wages as against increasing fuel prices, unions supporting the striking drivers claimed.

The Union members have claimed that the drivers will march from the Ola office in Andheri to Uber's office in Kurla. The Maharahstra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sang (MRRKS) supporting the strike have also alleged that the state government has not helped them upto their expectations in bailing out the drivers of Uber and Ola who are in huge debts.

Sunil Borkar, union leader of Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh (MRRKS) said, "It has been a week now but no-one is paying heed to our demands. Nor the private cab companies, and nor the companies."

Borkar added, "This time the drivers of both Ola and Uber are united, and will go on marching to offices of Uber and Ola with their families, and if the state government doesn't pays any heed despite repeated requests, we will intensify our strike starting Tuesday."

Sunday was the seventh day of striking Ola and Uber drivers, and both the Uber and Ola on Sunday said they didn't have any comment to offer on the issue. On Saturday, the sixth day of strike, many drivers had gathered around Eastern Freeway in Chembur trying to halt traffic movement but weren't sucessful in the same.

However, on Sunday the surge price was not much possibly owing to low demand being off day but the waiting time was quite low ranging from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. The city of Mumbai had around 50,000 cab aggregators of which most of them are on strike starting last Monday.

The state government has offered Uber and Ola drivers to be accommodated as cool cabs that are AC cabs registered with the state transport departments.

Further, Uber and Ola drivers have been demanding more per km rate citing rising diesel prices and are also demanding to be included in city's taxi scheme. However, the state government has said that it cannot intervene here considering it is between the driver and the private company.