Ola cab operators assn to continue stir

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 24

The Ola cabs controversy has refused to die down even on the fifth day of the strike announced by cab operators of the Doaba region.

The entire fleet of around 200 cabs is on strike since Wednesday in protest against the the company, which had allegedly begin to dismiss cab operators due to dwindling business in the region. 

According to JiwanJot Singh Kahlon, president of Ola Cabs Operators Association, Jalandhar, sources in the company had even claimed that they would soon expel around 100 cab operators out of the existing 180 in the region. 

He said, “How will we survive? A majority of us have taken huge loans to buy cars and will find it difficult to pay back the installments.” He said that it was premature to follow the legal course of action as the cab operators had first sought help from the district administration. 

The cab operators have claimed that the Mumbai-based company initially promised to pay them a consolidated amount of Rs 45,000 a month initially for up to a year and a half with a monthly limit to travel up to a maximum of 3,500 km only. However, with the dwindling business in the region, the company now asked cab operators to work on daily commission basis. 

“The company now wants us to give it 10 per cent of the total bookings in a day. However, we do not get booking calls for days altogether. How will we run our houses,” said Joginder pal Singh, a resident of Meghowal village.

The operators had announced strike last week following their claim of getting fake agreement copies from officials of the company. Joginder said though the company had handed them over a working agreement, in reality it was only the photocopy of a fake one. 

The operators said similar protests were also lodged in Ludhiana and Chandigarh last month, but their counterparts managed to strike a deal with the company due to the strenuous pressure of the local administration. The company at the behest of the local police also forced them to sign agreements on conditions as promised during the launch of its operations in the state around three months back, alleged the cab operators.