Hyderabad: The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) has issued an apology to customers for the inconvenience caused by their ongoing campaign #LowFareNoAir, which has led to longer wait times at the airport due to a strike by Ola and Uber drivers.
The TGPWU’s protest started with 2,500 drivers and has since more than doubled, with over 5,000 drivers now standing together in solidarity.
“The cost of driving to and fro, Hyderabad city from the Airport is 300 to 600 rupees, this fare does not even cover the fuel expenses and over it, we have to pay 30% commission to Ola and Uber also, a driver is left with nothing at the end of the day,” TGPWU said in an open letter.
The union expects drivers to be paid Rs 1,200 for every 25-30 km and Rs 1,700 for trips that cover 45-50 km, as stated in the open letter. “We expect our drivers to earn Rs. 1200 for every 25-30 km they travel.
We think that if the driver has covered between 45-50 km per trip. They should be paid Rs.1700,” TGPWU wrote listing their demands to Ola and Uber aggregators.
The union has launched #LowFareNoAir initiative in Hyderabad to protest against what they consider to be “unfair fares” that do not cover basic expenses such as fuel, let alone provide a sustainable income for drivers.
In an open letter to customers, TGPWU explains that while the fare from Hyderabad city to the airport ranges between 300 to 600 rupees, this does not account for the fuel expenses. After commission fees to the cab aggregators, drivers are often left with little to no earnings at the end of the day. The union stated that after dropping off a customer, they may wait for more than 4 to 5 hours for a return ride.
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