Strike by some online taxi operators continues in Kerala

The drivers are demanding a revision of fares in line with government norms, citing increases in fuel prices and operation and maintenance costs. | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Most of the drivers connected to online taxi aggregators, except a prominent online taxi platform, on Friday (July 24, 2026) evening decided to call off the indefinite ‘offline strike’ started by the All Kerala Online Drivers Union Alliance (AKODUA) and other allied bodies since July 21.

App-based mobile platforms, notably Kerala Savari and Rapido, have decided to resume services after the three-day strike, said Sajin Jose, representative of the Online Drivers Alliance. “Given that Uber has not heeded the demands that we have persistently raised over the past decade, including reducing the percentage of commissions collected from fares, it has now been decided that drivers will only operate through other mobility apps. Next week there will be another round of negotiations with the representatives of the online platform, after which a decision will be made on the ongoing strike,” he said.

The agitating drivers of about 30,000 online cabs, most of which operate in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, have also sought a revision of fares in line with government norms, citing increase in fuel prices, operation and maintenance costs and “arbitrary” locking of their IDs based on customer feedback. However, online autorickshaws continued to operate.

Online Taxi Drivers Union president Sahir KT confirmed that drivers have been instructed to turn on all mobile apps except Uber. “We are also reaching out to non-member drivers to spread awareness about the decision to continue the offline strike against the platform,” he said.

Published – 24 Jul 2026 22:29 IST