All of us already know how hard it is to get a taxi in the rain. Now tag that along with unempathetic company policies and we’ve got ourselves a statistical anomaly.
Story so far: During the pandemic, the number of cabs in Bengaluru went from 1.3 lakh to around 60,000. And the policies of the cab app companies have made contract-based work from corporate companies seem like the safer option to drivers.
Return to work: Right now, several companies are going back to work in offices which has drastically increased the demand for cabs in the city. The larger companies can afford to hire these cabs to offer shuttle services. Something startups might struggle with for a bit.
- The driver’s pocket: As per government rules, the apps pay ₹21/km to drivers. But their earnings for that km is anything between ₹13 to ₹18. Then, they have to pay a 25% commission to aggregators and 5% GST. This doesn’t leave much for the driver to take home.
Yesterday, we spoke about loan sharks using menacing tactics to repossess debt-ridden drivers’ vehicles. It’s tough being a cab driver in the city.