Pune, Mumbai commuters may face disruption as app-based cabs, autos plan day long strike today

Drivers affiliated with platforms such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido are expected to stay off the roads across the state Saturday. At present, commuters often face problems such as cab drivers demanding higher fares than those shown on apps, and auto-rickshaw drivers insisting on meter rates instead of app-based pricing.

The strike is likely to cause inconvenience at key locations, including Pune airport, where app-based bookings through the Aeromall are the primary option for hiring cabs. Daily commuters who rely heavily on aggregator services may also be affected.

However, Kshirsagar clarified that metered auto-rickshaws not linked to aggregator apps will continue to operate to minimise inconvenience to passengers.

“We were expecting the government would roll out the cab aggregator policy after municipal corporation elections, but nothing has materialised. The transport department officials had said before the elections that the policy was almost complete, but no action had been taken,” Kshirsagar said.

Some unions, however, indicated they would continue services while engaging with the government through dialogue.

Varsha Shinde, president of the Maa Saheb Cab Sanstha, said, “After last year’s eight-day strike, we witnessed that both passengers and drivers faced the brunt and massive inconvenience. We would continue our services while putting forward our demands through dialogue.”

A similar strike last year left many commuters stranded across the state.