Licences to Ola, Uber to operate in Pune: Tribunal to give final verdict on Dec 19

Previously, various dates had been set by the tribunal, but due to reasons such as the absence of a magistrate, no conclusion was reached. The stay order also mentions that the protest held by the drivers should not result in law and order issues or inconvenience passengers.

Head of the gig workers union Keshav Kshirsagar said many drivers participated in the strike and the tribunal’s decision, just a day before the protest, is proof that they know Ola and Uber companies are wrong. He claimed the stay order also clarified that Aeromall had earlier asked both companies to show their licenses and their consistent protest also forced the police to warn the companies, using Section 168 under Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sahinta, 2023.

The strike was organized to demand that permits for both aggregator platforms be revoked, as they hold no permit, and a case is ongoing regarding this in the tribunal.

In response, Y.S. Rajput, Vice President of Aeromall Authority, said the protest had no significant impact as there were only a few drivers involved, and police took action against them. “Pune Airport police stopped the protest, evacuated the area, and asked the protesters to move outside the airport premises,” he said.

Kshirsagar and other drivers said they were asked to clear the area, and the stay order specifically addressed the protest, stating the locus standi of the protest. “If the protest continues and creates problems, it will be considered contempt of court as per the stay order. Therefore, we have stopped our protest and will await the tribunal’s decision at the next hearing,” he said.