Commuters irked as auto, taxi drivers begin 2-day strike in Delhi-NCR

Transportation services in parts of Delhi and the NCR were disrupted due to a two-day strike by auto and taxi driver unions. Kishan Verma, president of the Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union, argued that cab aggregators like Ola, Uber, and Rapido were undermining their earnings and livelihoods. The unions demanded a ban on these app-based services, claiming they use private vehicles for passenger transport, affecting traditional drivers. Despite the strike, many autos and taxis continued to operate, rendering the strike partially ineffective. The Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh’s Rajendra Soni noted that not all unions supported the strike, and app-based services were not direct competitors to autos. The demand for higher fares and the impact of rising fuel costs were key issues raised. The responses from Ola and Uber were not yet available.