Rough ride for cab drivers

By Nischith N | NT

Are you shocked to see ACs in the cabs switched off during April, the warmest month in Bengaluru? Yes it is all because of the recent fuel hike.

When Covid restrictions were lifted in Bengaluru city, taxi drivers were hoping for a revival of business and a good response during the forthcoming holiday season. They never had a regular income since 2020 due to travel restrictions and lockdowns during various stages of the pandemic that had wreaked havoc across the country. But their hopes were dashed because of the recent fuel price hikes.

After West Bengal, New Delhi and Telangana, Bengaluru’s cab drivers too have now started a ‘no AC’ policy campaign to highlight the difficulties faced by Ola and Uber drivers, who have to foot high fuel prices on one hand and low commissions on the other.

Though the recent summer showers in Bengaluru have provided some respite, the humidity continues to be high. The drivers across the city have decided not to switch on AC during the ride, irrespective of whether it is a premium or a normal one.

In a month the petrol price in the city has reached Rs 111.09 per litre, from Rs 94.79 a litre before March 10. In some cases the cab drivers are also demanding extra fare from passengers for switching on the air conditioning.

“As we are facing a severe financial crisis, the government has rapidly increased the fuel price, which has further affected the transport and tourism sectors. For the past two years, the transport segment has completely collapsed due to Covid and work-fromhome arrangements adopted by various companies. The government’s decision to remove the weekend curfew was a huge relief to traders and those in the services sector. But fear of a hike has forced us to resort to ‘No AC’ campaign,” says Ashok, an Ola cab driver.

Telangana Gig and Platfor m Workers Union also started a ‘no AC’ campaign in Hyderabad in late March for the same reasons. However, it was claimed that drivers would explain to the passengers in a non-confrontational manner the reasons for not providing a cool ride, citing the hike in petrol and diesel prices and a low commission per ride.

“My wife regularly takes cabs for the workplace and we were shocked that cab drivers attached to the aggregators are opposed to switching on the AC in this hot temperature. We have learnt that some drivers bluntly say that they cannot switch on AC due to fuel price hike, but few cab drivers would avoid turning on the ACs by citing either Covid-19 protocols or saying that AC is included only in the Ola Prime and sedan bookings. It is very funny that they cite Covid as a reason to not switch on the AC, but they won’t be wearing masks,” says Kaushik, a software engineer who travels daily from Kengeri to Electronics City by Ola.

Cab drivers associations from various parts of the country are reaching out to their respective state governments for concessions and subsidies, hoping for some relief as the fuel price hikes and low commissions by cab aggregators have punched a hole in their pockets.

According to the transport department, during pre-Covid days Bengaluru had 1.47 lakh cabs. But due to the travel restrictions during the pandemic, the number has come down to 45,000 (including airport cabs) across Bengaluru, out of which only 25,000 plus cabs are operating now.

Many people have taken to social media and complained to cab aggregators. While some have demanded a refund, some are supporting it.

“Poor cab drivers can’t afford to switch on the AC due to high fuel consumption. Unless the prices of petrol and diesel and CNG are reduced, it will be difficult for drivers to even run their vehicles. People should put up with this or pay a little extra to compensate the drivers,” says Mahesh M, a professor.