Cab and auto drivers relying on app-based services in Pune have decided to halt their operations starting from Tuesday, March 5. The suspension is in response to the ongoing demand from Ola and Uber drivers for an increase in travel fares, a request that has not been fulfilled by the companies. Despite the Regional Transport Office (RTO) announcing revised fares for cabs on January 3, both companies failed to implement the changes.

A meeting held on March 4, chaired by District Collector Suhas Diwase and attended by cab unions and aggregator companies, did not yield a resolution. Consequently, certain cab unions in the city opted for a strike. Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Indian Gig Workers Front (IGF), clarified that their meter-equipped autos would still operate during this period.

Kshirsagar explained that due to restrictions on scheduling protests, the decision to suspend services was made pending a resolution on the fare hike. In contrast, other organizations secured permission to stage a protest on March 6 in front of the District Collector’s office.

According to Kshirsagar, during the meeting, the District Collector referred to the operations of Ola and Uber as being in grey areas, indicating a lack of official permission for their operations in the city. Varsha Shinde, spokesperson of Maa Saheb Cab Sanstha (MSCS), revealed that the meeting ended without a decision, and the RTO declined to disclose the official response to the show cause notice issued to Ola and Uber.

Shinde stated, When we asked an RTO official to present the information they received on the show cause notice, they refused. However, an RTO official orally informed us that both companies have denied fulfilling the demands and compromise of increasing the fares.

The RTO had issued a seven-day show cause notice on February 17, urging aggregator companies to adhere to official cab fares. Despite this, both Ola and Uber have resisted the fare hike, asserting that it is not in the best interest of customers.

Shinde mentioned plans to seek permission for a protest on March 6 and, upon approval, stage a demonstration in front of the Collector’s office. Efforts to obtain a response from RTO officials regarding the matter were unsuccessful, but according to the unions, the District Collector is expected to make a legal decision by March 10.