The Taxi and Autorickshaw Drivers Union announced a one-day strike on Saturday to raise several demands, including addressing concerns over installation of panic buttons, low income and exploitation.
As reported by PTI, the Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha said in a statement that app-based taxi and autorickshaw drivers across the country will observe a strike on February 7 to protest against “illegal” cycle taxi services and “arbitrary” pricing policies of ride-hailing platforms like Ola, Uber and Rapido.
According to the union, the agitation is organized against the continued failure of the central and state governments to announce minimum base tariffs as per the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. Despite the existence of these guidelines, aggregator companies continue to unilaterally fix tariffs, push workers into unsustainable working conditions and force longer working hours due to declining earnings.
Installing the panic button
The Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha said in a statement that the mandatory installation of the panic button has led to a financial burden on drivers, PTI reported.
“While there are 140 panic button device providers approved by the central government, the state government has declared nearly 70% of these companies unauthorized. As a result, taxi drivers are forced to remove previously installed devices and spend around ₹12,000 unnecessarily to install new facilities, causing serious financial hardship,” the statement said.
The drivers’ body also raised concerns about loss of income due to the increase in the number of autorickshaws under the open permit policy and claimed that victims of accidents involving illegal cyclists are being denied insurance benefits.
A delegation of concert workers meet Rahul Gandhi
A delegation of transport and delivery workers met Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to discuss the need for central legislation and implementation of regulations in Congress-ruled states, according to the founder president of the Telangana Concert and Platform Workers Union, ANI reported.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Union President Shaik Salauddin said the delegation highlighted the problems faced by concert workers during the half-hour meeting.
(This is a developing story; check back later for updates)