GUWAHATI: App-based commercial cab and auto drivers in Guwahati remain divided over the continuation of their indefinite strike, with one section temporarily suspending the protest after receiving assurances from transport authorities, while another faction has decided to continue the agitation.
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Drivers who attended a meeting with transport authorities at Paribahan Bhawan in Khanapara on Wednesday agreed to temporarily call off their indefinite protest after being assured that their demands would be addressed within 14 days.
The Commissioner of Transport, Assam, has issued show-cause notices to several cab aggregators over alleged violations and sought their responses within the 14-day period.
In notices dated August 31 to Uber India Systems, ANI Technologies and Spatium Towers A-Mantri Commercio, Commissioner of Transport Manvendra Pratap Singh stated that several “anomalies have been observed after a thorough inspection by the office of the undersigned in the present operation of your business.”
Despite several meetings and communications made, the aggregators could not properly address the issues raised by Cab operator unions regarding low fare rate.
“We have decided to call off our protest for now. If our demands are not met after the 14-day period, we will resume our protest,” said Naren Saikia, a cab driver who attended Wednesday’s meeting.
However, the decision to temporarily suspend the protest has not been accepted by all driver organisations.
Dhrubaraj Axom, president of the Assam State Driver Union, said reports that cab drivers had called off the protest were incorrect and described them as misinformation.
“There are reports that cab drivers have temporarily called off their protest. It’s untrue and misinformation. We will only stop our protest when the transport authorities ensure that our demands are met,” he said.
Axom also said the protest would remain peaceful and claimed that members of the public were neither being harassed nor made to face inconvenience.
The protest involves app-based commercial four-wheelers, three-wheelers and two-wheelers in Guwahati.
Drivers associated with Ola, Uber and Rapido are demanding minimum fares of ₹25 per kilometre for hatchbacks and ₹30 per kilometre for sedans. They have also sought cancellation and waiting charges.
The indefinite strike began on September 1 and affected app-based cab, auto-rickshaw and bike services across Guwahati on Tuesday and Wednesday. With different driver groups taking opposing positions on the suspension of the protest, the status of the strike remains divided.