2 hrs ago
Ahmedabad Drivers Boycott Aggregators, Back Cooperative Bharat Taxi
Taxi and autorickshaw drivers in Ahmedabad are refusing to work with several popular ride-booking apps.
They say the apps pay them too little and charge them too much.
The drivers want passengers to use Bharat Taxi instead.
Bharat Taxi is designed as a cooperative service, meaning drivers have a stronger role in how it operates.
Some airport drivers say only prepaid taxis and Bharat Taxis are currently operating there.
Passengers say this boycott has left them with fewer choices.
Some passengers also say Bharat Taxi rides now cost more than rides booked through other apps.
Bharat Taxi says its driver charges are small, according to a union representative, but the fare increase has not been officially confirmed.
The dispute is testing whether driver support can help Bharat Taxi compete with bigger services.
Ahmedabad taxi and autorickshaw unions began boycotting Ola, Uber and Rapido on September 21.
Drivers accuse established aggregators of offering low fares while charging them high fees.
The unions are urging passengers to use Bharat Taxi, a cooperative ride-hailing platform.
Passengers report fewer booking choices and, in some cases, higher fares through Bharat Taxi.
Bharat Taxi remains much smaller than established rivals despite its formal launch in June.
- Who
- Taxi and autorickshaw drivers and unions in Ahmedabad, along with Bharat Taxi and established aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.
- What
- Drivers are boycotting established cab aggregators and encouraging passengers to use Bharat Taxi.
- Where
- Ahmedabad, Gujarat, including operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport.
- When
- The latest boycott began on September 21; drivers had also held a four-day strike earlier in the month.
- Why
- Drivers allege that established aggregators offer unsustainably low fares and impose high charges, while passengers are affected by fewer options and potentially higher fares.
Driver concerns
Passenger concerns
Aggregator pricing
Driver concerns
Driver unions say fares offered by established aggregators are too low to sustain drivers and that the platforms take high charges.
Passenger concerns
Passengers value the lower prices and wider choices offered by established apps, but the boycott has made those services harder to access.
Bharat Taxi fares
Driver concerns
A union representative said Bharat Taxi takes minimal charges from drivers and provides customers with insurance cover.
Passenger concerns
Passengers report that Bharat Taxi fares have become the highest in some cases, although the reported fare increase has not been officially confirmed.
Effect of the boycott
Driver concerns
Drivers say the boycott will continue and are directing passengers toward a cooperative platform they believe offers a fairer model.
Passenger concerns
Passengers say the shift has reduced choice and made urban travel feel like the period before app-based booking, with higher costs in many cases.
Key facts
- Boycott start
- September 21
- Services targeted
- Ola, Uber and Rapido
- Alternative promoted
- Bharat Taxi
- Estimated autorickshaws
- About 100,000 registered in Ahmedabad, according to union estimates
- Estimated taxis
- About 30,000 to 40,000 registered with cab aggregators, according to union estimates
- Bharat Taxi launch
- Formally launched by Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in June
- Reported fare example
- One passenger paid more than Rs 850 for a Bharat Taxi ride from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar, while a return Rapido ride cost Rs 425 plus an unspecified additional amount
Quotes
Narendra Patel
Working president of the Ahmedabad Taxi Driver Union
“The fares these cab aggregators offer to the customers are not affordable to the drivers. We cannot sustain at these rates, These cab aggregator companies have earned a lot and give customers a cheap ride.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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