Bengaluru autorickshaw drivers union aggrieved at having no say in Namma Yatri app

In fact, according to sources privy to the developments in the app, ARDU representatives had proposed introducing last-mile connectivity rides from Metro stations on a flat fare basis, which Namma Yatri declined.

As a result, the ARDU, headed by general secretary Rudramurthy Rudramurthy, started Metro Mitra, another initiative of the auto driver community to bridge the last-mile connectivity from Metro stations based on meter fares.

Rudramurthy said, “Our (ARDU’s) association with Namma Yatri started last year from its ideation, pilot phase testing, launching the application and building vital early momentum through driver onboarding and customer acquisition. With literally zero market spend, more than 20,000 drivers and 150,000 customers downloaded the application within three months of launch due to the selfless community support.”

He added, “Our consistent stand from the day we launched the app was that it should be run on principles of a digital cooperative with inception stakeholders, including ourselves, being part of the management team. However, Namma Yatri is currently purely corporate-led and we, as the co-ideators, disappointingly have no specific role in its ongoing and future management.”

Emphasising that Namma Yatri should recognise the role of the auto driver community along with customers and volunteers, he said, “We trust and hope Namma Yatri will be operated with fair, open, meaningful and authentic consultation with the inception stakeholders. We articulated the Union-agnostic approach and never have been gatekeepers to driver onboarding. To use the cover of a union-agnostic approach to deny us a role and voice in the operations of NammaYatri is morally flawed.”

Namma Yatri, in its statement on December 12, said, “NY, as a community-driven mobility initiative, collaborates with over 1 lakh drivers, the majority of whom are not affiliated with any union. We have always been union-agnostic, prioritizing community welfare over individual union interests.”

It added, “We engage closely with top drivers from diverse groups for their feedback. We are also formalizing our open governance model that represents the interests of both drivers and citizens. NY is committed to growing sustainably. We charge only a small subscription to Drivers by innovating on our product, tech and map costs. Over 65,000 drivers trust us with UPI daily mandates, while others pay manually.”

Sathya Arikutharam, an independent mobility expert, said, “It will be interesting to see how Namma Yatri will stick to its true open governance model without involving the auto drivers in decision-making. NY started on the lines of a digital cooperative where auto drivers would have a say in the operations and app features. It is important for the operators to take drivers as representatives on their board to stay true to the open governance model.”

The Namma Yatri app was launched on November 1, 2022, on the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava by the auto driver community. Rudramurthy and other members of the ARDU were instrumental in promoting and encouraging more auto drivers to join the platform which was built “by the auto driver community and for the auto driver community”.

The app built using Open Network for Digital Commerce was a result of the high commission charges levied by big aggregator giants like Ola, Uber, and Rapido. NY was built on the concept of ‘zero commission’ where the entire amount paid by the customer goes directly to the auto drivers.

However, in order to achieve financial stability, NY introduced a subscription fee in September this year. As a result, drivers have to either pay Rs 25 for unlimited trips per day or Rs 3.50 per ride with no charges after ten trips.