Around 100 drivers gathered at Chakala in Andheri, Mumbai, to protest the policies of Ola and Uber on Monday.
The Mumbai Police have detained Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders Nitin Nandgaonkar and around ten drivers as they did not have requisite permissions to conduct a protest.
Speaking to the protestors, Mr Nandgaonkar said that they will not stop until their demands are met. He also alleged that the companies were forcing drivers into debt and then profiting from them.
“After the banks seize their vehicles, they [the cab aggregators] buy the same vehicles and lease it out to drivers,” he claimed.
Sanjay Naik, president of MNVS, the transport arm of MNS, claimed that the companies were illegal and the government should either create a new law to regulate them or bring them under Maharashtra Transport Act and treat drivers on par with taxi drivers.
A video showing Mr. Nandgaonkar breaking the windshield of a cab was circulating on social media. A senior police official said that they were investigating the incident.
However, an executive with a leading ride sharing company said, “There has been no impact on rides across cities except in Mumbai.”
