The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) on Monday announced a ‘No AC Campaign’ as a protest against their low per-kilometre rates during the summer.
The low per-kilometre rate given to drivers working with Uber, Ola and Rapido apps will not cover the extra fuel and maintenance expenses they incur when running with the AC on, said founder-president of the TGPWU Shaik Salauddin. This when temperature in Hyderabad is soaring to 43 degrees Celsius.
“The cost of running our cabs with the AC on is ₹16-18 a kilometre. After accounting for commissions charged by Uber, Ola and Rapido, we are able to earn only ₹10-12 a kilometre. With deep regret, we inform all customers who are hailing our services of our inability to offer high- quality rides. With the AC on and the current fare structure, we are simply unable to meet the costs of running our cabs. Hence, we are launching the No-AC Campaign starting this week,” he said.
The TGPWU requested the customers to cooperate with them on this matter and mentioned that if the customers require the AC to be switched on during rides, they shall kindly offer the drivers a tip to help them adequately meet the costs.
“Through this campaign, we hope that we are able to reach out to the government and platform companies to pay timely attention to the daily issues faced by the drivers of all app-based taxis. We request the Telangana government to urgently implement uniform fares per kilometre for all taxis attached to platform companies,” added Mr. Salauddin, adding that if the demands are not urgently addressed, the TGPWU, in collaboration with trade unions in other states, will be forced to launch a nationwide campaign for the same.
