GUWAHATI: Around 12,000 taxi drivers of Guwahati, who operate under the ride-hailing platforms, Ola and Uber, are set to stage a protest if the internet ban is not restored in the city.
It has become a challenge to earn the bread and butter for these drivers as the internet services have remained suspended since December 11.
Talking to a local daily, President of All Assam CAB Operators’ Union, Ismail Ali said, “Internet is the only source of income for us. Now with the suspension of internet services, life has become miserable for all app operated taxi drivers of Guwahati. How will we earn our bread and butter for our family?”
Talking further he stated that if the suspension of internet services continues, all the drivers of the city will come onto the streets.
On an average day, an app operated taxi driver in Guwahati earns around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 if he works for around 15 hours. Ali added that most of the drivers have not completed their EMIs and are paying around Rs 10,000 every month as monthly instalments.
“The government has kicked the stomach of the drivers by banning the internet over the last five days”, he added.
It is to be mentioned that the association however extended its support towards the movement against the CAA.
Meanwhile, private cab operators are taking full advantage of this situation of the app operated taxis.
People stranded at the airport and railway station are having a tough time as they are being forced to pay huge amounts to the private cabs.
“I tried to book a private cab from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to my residence in Athgaon. The driver asked me to pay Rs 8,000 for a distance of around 20 kilometers,” said Madhu Jain, a passenger who was stranded at the airport.
There have been reports that amidst the protests, rickshaws were charging as high as Rs 500 to drop passengers from Guwahati Railway Station to Fancy Bazar, which is a distance of merely 2-3 kilometres.
Atique Habib, a passenger who was stranded at the LGBI airport during the protests, stated that he had to pay Rs 2000 to a private bike rider who dropped him near Ganeshguri area.
