Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwaad News: Amid an ongoing indefinite strike called by app-based cab drivers in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad starting February 20, Uber has assured commuters that its operations will remain unaffected. The company has vowed to provide seamless service to its customers despite the protest. 

“Reports of our Pune operation being impacted from February 20 are categorically false. We are committed to keeping the city moving and continuing to provide seamless services for commuters' intra and inter-city needs,” a leading daily quoted an Uber spokesperson as saying.

Following Uber-India's official statement opposing the planned strike next week, driver unions have decided to not report to work to protest against both Uber and Ola for failing to implement the revised taxi fare approved by the Pune RTO in January.

Despite the Pune RTO's announcement of revised AC taxi fares based on the Khatua Committee’s recommendations over a month ago, aggregator companies have yet to implement them. The proposal, approved in last December's meeting of the Regional Transport Authorities (RTA) chaired by the then Collector Rajesh Deshmukh, led to the announcement of increased taxi fares for cabs operating under its jurisdiction by the RTO on January 3.

Post the meeting, drivers and other stakeholders in the city gave cab companies a one-month ultimatum to adhere to the new rules, issuing warnings in anticipation of potential consequences.  

Pune: Revised Cab Rates

Following repeated protests by taxi driver unions advocating for increased rates for air-conditioned (AC) taxis, the revised fares were established. 

For non-air-conditioned taxis, the fare was set at Rs 31 for the initial 1.5 kilometres, with Rs 21 for each additional kilometre thereafter. Meanwhile, for AC taxis (cool cabs), the fare was determined to be Rs 37 for the first 1.5 kilometres, followed by Rs 25 for each subsequent kilometre.

Taxi drivers have accused Ola and Uber of operating without the necessary licenses, yet no punitive measures have been taken against them.