Karnataka: No cabs near you', drivers are on strike

Bengaluru: If you experienced lesser traffic on city’s roads, you might have also noticed that booking a cab from your smartphone was difficult, as hundreds of drivers attached to cab aggregators, Ola and Uber, protested on Monday.

An Uber driver said, “Earlier, we received incentives based on our earnings. Now, it has been reduced. The company takes 25% as commission with 3% extra as tax. Very little is left for us at the end."

“The number of trips expected of these drivers keeps increasing by the day, which is not possible to meet. If they don't meet them, incentives are not given. How will they cover diesel costs, annual maintenance, toll fares etc,” asked Ramesh, a member of the Bruhat Bengaluru Taxi Drivers’ Union.

With long distances and traffic, a maximum of four trips are possible in a day, he said. The number of cars added to the company's fleet has increased drastically. More competition has led to fewer passengers per driver, making it difficult for them to reach the target for incentives. Supply has outweighed demand, said drivers and union members.

“Uber and Ola keep competing by reducing fares to attract customers. A driver earns Rs 1,000 per day after 18 hours of duty, of which 25% goes as commission. The incentive of Rs 1,000 too has been reduced," Ramesh explained.

“After dropping a passenger at the airport, we may not find a return fare as there are too many cabs. We have to waste diesel and pay Rs 120 as toll while returning empty,” a driver said, adding that around 200 cars are added to the fleet regularly by the two companies.

While Ola did not respond to Deccan Chronicle, Uber spokesperson said, “We will ensure our driver partners continue to receive a stable income, along with providing a convenient option to riders."