Bengaluru: App-cab drivers warm up to night shifts, ditch working during the day

A lot of drivers say high fuel costs, steep commissions to app-cab companies and traffic woes have left them stressed out – both financially and mentally. Although the drivers admit that the number of bookings during the nights is fewer compared to the mornings, they add that a couple of airport drops and some rides involving professionals on night shifts amid free-flowing traffic, offer higher relief. Drivers also complain that the delay in road projects and metro station works at many places in Bengaluru have thrown the traffic out of gear.

According to Tanveer Pasha, Karnataka president of Ola/Uber drivers’ association, a lot of drivers have also started operating their own businesses in the mornings while switching to cab driving in the evenings. Speaking to indianexpress.com, Pasha says: “Because of the high fuel prices and commission, the drivers are not able to financially sustain themselves. Moreover, the traffic in Bengaluru has taken a mental toll on them. There is no choice but to find an alternative model. So some cab drivers now sell garments while some sell vegetables.”

Shaik believes that the crawling traffic is the main reason spurring the switch to night driving. “The usual suspects like Silk Board Junction, Tin Factory, Marathahalli, Outer Ring Road, JC Road have stressed me out completely. I can no longer drive in such bottleneck traffic. Driving at night makes me comfortable. However, even during the night, some areas witness crawling traffic because the main roads have been blocked owing to the metro construction. I have dinner at home in the evening and have tea, snacks while I am up driving throughout the night,” says Shaik.

Ashok Kumar, a cab driver and president of Ola/Uber cab drivers’ association of Bengaluru, has started selling vegetables from this month to supplement his income. While he sells veggies in the morning, he logs in to cab services by late evening. “I started selling vegetables because the income through cab services was not enough to support my family. Moreover, driving in the morning does not give us good mileage considering the traffic in Bengaluru. We usually get pub goers, professionals and flyers as passengers during the night. I also avoid going to certain high-risk areas where I do not feel safe. I end my shift by 6am or 7am the next day,” says Kumar.

Naseer Ahmad, another cab driver, says: “For the last six months, I have been driving the cab from 7pm to 6am. It has taken a toll on my health and the doctor has advised me to take rest. But I end up saving more on fuel and earning more during the night compared to the day. I usually stick around Madiwala, Whitefield, Electronic City, Koramangala, Indiranagar because these areas attract more rides. It also makes it easier for me to contact fellow drivers in case of an emergency.”