Summer to be testing for users of online cab services

HYDERABAD: Affected by the fuel price hike, some drivers of online cab service majors like Ola and Uber have decided to switch off the AC in their vehicles and charge passengers extra if they want a comfortable ride from April 1. A sticker in their vehicles says, ‘AC on Extra Charges Rs 50 to Rs 100.’

These cab drivers claim that switching on the AC makes a difference of about three to four kilometres. With the diesel prices rising, they said they could not bear the burden anymore. Their tariff was fixed when the diesel price was Rs 60; it is now Rs 98.10 per litre.

The aggregators get a profit of 25 to 30 per cent on each ride, but the cab driver has to fill fuel, pay EMI and maintain service of the vehicle, which cost him a bomb.

Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, under whose banner this campaign is going on, said that for their drivers, it was impossible to run the AC after paying an increased commission to the aggregator.

The ‘No AC’ campaign was to inform and educate the customers of the problem the Ola and Uber drivers in Hyderabad were going through, it said.

The campaign has the support of drivers belonging to all other unions too. The association urged the taxi and cab drivers to join the campaign.

Chinnapaka Swami, a cab driver, said, “The transport department should intervene. The current charge per kilometre is less than Rs 12 to Rs 13. This fare was fixed when diesel cost around Rs 60 per litre. The government must take this issue in their hand and solve this by talking to aggregators,” he said.