Auto, taxi drivers in Delhi-NCR launch 2-day strike; demand ban on Ola, Uber

New Delhi: The transportation services in parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) were affected on Thursday following a two-day strike launched by the unions of auto and taxi drivers. 
Kishan Verma, president of the Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union, said that cab aggregators such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido are affecting their livelihoods and eating up their earnings. “The strike is to save jobs and provide for the families of auto and taxi drivers.”
Demanding to ban the app-based services, Verma said that illegal mobile app-based companies like Ola, Uber, and Rapido are using private vehicles—private cars with white number plates, motorcycles, and scooters—to transport passengers, which is impacting the livelihood of auto and taxi drivers.
“We urge the central government and state governments, including Delhi, to impose a complete ban on these mobile app-based companies…Illegal mobile app-based companies like Ola, Uber, and Rapido are using private vehicles to transport passengers…,” said Verma.
He said nearly 15 auto and taxi unions, including those of cab service providers, are supporting the strike.
“The passengers give them (Ola, Uber) Rs.20/km and give us only Rs.8-9/km. This is very low; the CNG is also very expensive….We demand that our rate (taxi) should be at least Rs.15-20/km”, said a taxi driver speaking to news agency IANS. 
Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh general secretary Rajendra Soni, however, said that the strike was ineffective because autos and kali-pili taxis continue to operate in the city.
“The two-day strike is ineffective because autos and taxis continue to ply on the streets. My union and around five other unions are not participating in the strike because the app-based cab providers are not the direct competitors of autos. We are not on strike,” said Soni.
“Every day I take an auto to reach Dwarka More metro station from my home. Today, I saw fewer number of autos available in the area, and I had to wait for some time to get an auto,” said Vishal Thakur, a resident of Vipin Garden in Dwarka. 
Around 1,50,000 motor cabs are registered in Delhi, according to the transport department. Delhi has around 95,000 autos and 10,000 kali-pili taxis.
The responses of Ola and Uber were not immediately available. The story will be updated when they respond to the developments.