Ola, Uber, Rapido drivers to go on strike on February 7

Hyderabad: Transport workers from Uber, Rapido and Ola, among others, across the country will observe an “All-India Breakdown” on February 7 to protest government inaction and fare exploitation by app-based aggregator platforms, the Telangana App-Based Drivers Forum (TADF) said on Tuesday, February 3.

TADF has said that despite the notification of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, aggregator companies continue to arbitrarily determine fares, which pushes drivers into income insecurity, debt, and unsustainable working conditions.

Commuters are also targeted by surge manipulation and a lack of effective regulatory oversight, it said.

The workers’ union has also flagged the central and state government’s failure to notify minimum base fares, saying that it allows platforms to slash driver earnings while increasing commissions. It said that the burden of rising fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs, insurance and operational risks is being entirely shifted onto drivers, making dignified livelihoods impossible.

The union has called for immediate notification of minimum base fares and the prohibition on the use of private (non-commercial) vehicles for commercial app-based rides.

Earlier strike

Gig and platform workers went on strike on Christmas (December 25) and New Year’s Eve (December 31) last year, two of the busiest days of the year for delivery workers, to protest against worsening work conditions.

As many as 50,000 of the total 2 lakh gig workers in Hyderabad participated in the strike on December 31, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) president Shaik Salauddin had claimed.

They were protesting for fair and better pay through transparent wage structures and incentives reflecting real working hours and costs. They also demanded that the arbitrary blocking of IDs and penalties without due process be stopped and they receive improved safety measures, including safety gear and accident insurance. 

The other demands were assured and consistent work allocation without algorithmic discrimination, and respect and dignity at work, including humane treatment by platforms and customers, and job security and social security such as health insurance, accident coverage and pension benefits.