On Saturday, the All Assam Cab Mazdoor Sangh (AACMS) protested against the app-based cab service providers. The service providers blocked many drivers’ accounts. The AACMS was outraged by the move and staged a protest in front of Uber’s Guwahati branch office in Mathgharia.
Dhrubaraj Axom, a spokesperson for AACMS, told a reporter, “The accounts of more than 300 Uber drivers were blocked by Uber. We agree that the drivers who violate the rule should be punished. But without any valid reason, or legal procedure a driver should not be blocked permanently from Uber. They have families to run. Before blocking the account, there should be an investigation.”
During the protest, the Kamrup (Metro) administration paid a visit to the site and sought a meeting with AACMS members.
The administration informed the members that the role of Uber’s Guwahati branch office is simply to collect money (compensation) from the drivers. The Guwahati office serves no other purpose.
“Therefore, we later decided to boycott the service,” the association stated.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, taxi drivers faced a severe economic crisis, which caused them to overcharge, according to one driver. This year has seen a “silent war” between cab drivers and passengers.
Four months ago, the District Transport Office of Kamrup Metro requested that service providers block the drivers’ accounts if they were found to be in violation of any rules.
According to the spokesperson, many passengers later began blaming the drivers for trivial reasons and began complaining about them frequently. According to the spokesperson, many passengers began abusing the law, resulting in the blocking of several cab drivers’ accounts.
Assam Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya told reporters that the state government will soon develop a taxi application to combat such a crisis.