Cab Services At Pune Airport To Be Disrupted As Drivers Announce Strike Tomorrow
Pune, 8th October 2023: Cab services at Pune Airport are set to face another disruption as drivers and owners have taken a collective decision to halt their services on Monday, the 9th of October. This strike, which follows a similar sudden walkout last Friday, is expected to involve approximately 400 drivers, potentially leaving passengers inconvenienced. The drivers intend to present their grievances to the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
Last week, on Friday, the drivers associated with Ola and Uber, the primary cab service providers at the airport, initiated an unanticipated strike, citing concerns over relatively low fares compared to autorickshaws. This unscheduled action left around five thousand passengers stranded, with roughly 400 drivers participating in the protest.
The core issue at the heart of this labor dispute is the disparity in fares for cab and autorickshaw rides. Cab drivers argue that they receive only Rs 12 per kilometer, whereas autorickshaw drivers earn Rs 17 for the same distance.
Furthermore, the drivers claim that Ola and Uber impose higher commissions on their earnings. While the drivers provide both the vehicles and the passenger services, the ride-sharing platforms are responsible primarily for customer acquisition, leading them to levy greater commissions. Several drivers expressed their concerns anonymously, stating that this imbalance has significantly reduced their income.
The potential impact of this strike is not to be underestimated, as approximately 15,000 passengers transit through Pune Airport daily. To cater to these travelers, around 100 cabs depart from Aeromall every hour. Given these numbers, an estimated five thousand passengers could face disruptions if the strike proceeds as planned.
