TV
In a display of mounting frustration, online auto-rickshaw driver outfits staged protests in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday targeting ride-sharing platforms such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido.
Gathering at the bustling Infocity Square of the Capital City, hundreds of drivers expressed their dissent against the operation of two-wheeler passenger services facilitated by these companies.
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The agitators have taken to blocking online bike drivers, urging passengers to disembark from these vehicles. The protests persisted despite the presence of local police, with some demonstrators reportedly seizing keys from the ride-share bikes.
These protests have resulted in the halting of hundreds of online motorcycles used for commercial passenger transport, creating tense situations not only in Infocity Square but also across other localities of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack twin cities.
Online auto-rickshaw drivers contend that these companies infringe upon State government regulations concerning aggregator services. These platforms are registering private bikes for commercial passenger transport, thus affecting their earnings, they alleged.
According to the union leaders, repeated attempts to seek action from authorities have gone unheeded, prompting the current strike.
“Companies such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido have been violating prescribed guidelines of the Odisha government. We (online auto-rickshaw drivers) have registered our vehicles specifically for passenger transport. We have obtained road permits, and fitness certificates, and are paying the insurance premiums,” a member of the auto-rickshaw drivers’ outfit said OTV.
“The ride-sharing aggregator companies are using private motorcycles for passenger transport purposes, which violates the government guidelines. We are opposing only the private bikes which are being used for transport of passengers,” the outfit functionary added.
Meanwhile, the motorcycle drivers affiliated with the online platforms argue their services are legitimate, maintaining that the aggregators have allowed them to operate under agreed terms and conditions.
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Section 36 of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, amends Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, allowing state governments to follow the Central Government guidelines when issuing licenses to aggregators.
The Ministry enforced this through notification (No-S.O. 4251 (E) on November 26, 2020), and issued Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020, in accordance with Section 93.
