Cab services affected as Tamil Nadu taxi drivers stage 2-day strike. Know reason

The All India Road Transport Workers' Federation and the Tamil Nadu Urimai Kural Driver Trade Union on Monday began a two-day strike in the state which casused severe incovenience to the public.

Regular commuters who use cabs to reach their respective wokrplaces are facing unprecedented delays. Some use the cab services due to infrequent public transportation facility in their areas. Residents complained of having fewer availability of cabs due their already demand-rise amid the festival season.

What are the taxi drivers' demands?

Taxi drivers in the state are carrying out the strike in an effort to urge the government to ban the Rapido bike-taxi services, as well as regulate app-based cab aggregators Uber, Ola, Porter and Red Taxi. The protestors urged government's action against those renting private vehicles for commercial use.

They are also demanding to remove all the toll booths that are operating despite their agreement period.

According to an official of the drivers' union, the protestors will head to transport department offices in Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore on the second day of the strike.

Earlier, state's transport minister S S Sivasankar said the state government is yet to recognise bike taxis running in Chennai and Coimbatore, adding that vehicles with only yellow-black number plates can operate as taxis.