Karnataka government plans to launch cab aggregator app like Ola and Uber
The decision came after the taxi unions and auto unions met the transport minister and expressed their concerns.
Karnataka transport minister Rama Linga Reddy on Monday said the government is planning to start an app like cab aggregators Ola and Uber. The decision came after the taxi unions and auto unions met the minister and expressed their concerns.
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Addressing reporters after the meeting, Reddy said, “The cab drivers are facing many hurdles due to high commissions of cab aggregators. The government has heard their issues and we also have a plan to launch an app for them where cab rides can be booked through the app.” The minister also said that he will discuss the concerns of auto unions and taxi unions with the chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU) of Bengaluru had launched an app called Namma Yatri last year, which gained popularity among the auto commuters in the IT capital. The app was launched in competition to apps like Ola, Uber and Rapido.
The auto unions have also highlighted the need to ban illegal bike taxis which run with whiteboards and conveyed how the Shakti scheme is hitting their livelihood. They further requested compensation against the Shakti scheme.
The transport minister then said, “The main concern of private transportation owners is that their revenue took a hit, ever since the Shakti scheme was launched in the state. They also demand a ban on bike taxis in Karnataka, which is affecting their livelihood. We will have to seek a legal opinion on their bike taxi ban demand. Welfare board for drivers, insurance for auto drivers and lifetime tax on commercial goods vehicles are among the other demands.”
This is the second meeting of the unions with the transport minister in the last week. They announced a strike on July 27 and they later decided to call off the strike as their demands were heard by the government in the first meeting. They also reportedly asked for a meeting with the chief minister in August.