“Why punish us for the actions of one man? The ban on Uber will leave thousands jobless, making it difficult for them to earn their livelihood,” said cab owner-cum-driver Jai Prakash, who had come to Uber’s office in South City-I here on Tuesday morning after seeing media reports about the ban on the company.
Attached to Uber for the past four months, Prakash, a native of Rajasthan, bought a car on loan. He needs to shell out Rs.26,500 as EMI.
“With a ban on the company, I have no clue how to pay my instalments. Almost 4,000 cab owners are associated with Uber in Delhi and its neighbouring areas, and most of them have bought their vehicles on loan. If the ban continues, it will make it impossible for cab owners like me to earn a livelihood and repay our loans.”
Rahul, another cab driver outside the company’s office along with a dozen others, blamed the owner of the cab in which the crime was committed.
“It is the fault of the owner in whose vehicle the rape took place. He should have checked the credentials of the accused. Why blame the company and punish us? Drivers from Delhi undergo stringent checks before issuance of commercial licences and badges, and do not get involved in crimes. It is mostly outsiders who commit such crimes and create difficulties for us,” said the Delhi resident, adding that drivers with licences from outside Delhi should be banned in the city.
The cab owners claimed that Uber was fair in its dealings with them and rendered customer-friendly service. “It is very popular among cab owners for its fair dealings and its business is growing at a great pace. While the other companies seek high commission and delay payments for two to three months, the Uber makes weekly payments. The cab owners attached to some cab services with call centres need to bribe the management to seek work, but the technology used by Uber is such that all cab owners are treated equally. It is also very popular among customers as well,” said Jabbar Ali, who has been attached with Uber for nearly a year now.
The agitated cab owners will hold a protest if the ban is not lifted.
