Why your cab may not show up today: Drivers stage pan-India strike against Ola, Uber, Rapido pricing

Unions allege arbitrary pricing by aggregators, rising compliance costs, and loss of income as services plan a six-hour log-out across cities.

• App-based taxi and auto drivers to strike nationwide on February 7 for six hours
• Drivers demand minimum base fares and protest rising compliance costs.
• Unions demand stricter action on illegal bike taxis, fair insurance benefits.

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App-based taxi and autorickshaw drivers across India will go offline on February 7 in a nationwide strike, escalating pressure on ride-hailing platforms over fares, regulation and rising compliance costs. Unions say services will be hit in several cities as drivers log out for six hours in what they are calling an “All India Breakdown”.

The action has been called by multiple worker groups, including the Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, representing app-based drivers operating on platforms such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.

What the strike is about

At the centre of the protest is the demand for government-notified minimum base fares for aggregator-based transport services. Unions allege that platforms continue to set prices unilaterally despite the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, leading to falling earnings and income volatility for drivers.

In a statement, the Telangana-based union said drivers would log out of ride-hailing apps for six hours on Saturday to protest “arbitrary” pricing and weak regulation, arguing that the absence of notified base fares has pushed many workers into financial distress.

Panic buttons, rising compliance costs

In Maharashtra, the Kamgar Sabha flagged the cost of mandatory panic button installations as another flashpoint. It said while the central government approves 140 device providers, the state has declared nearly 70% of them unauthorised, forcing drivers to remove existing devices and spend around Rs 12,000 again on new installations.

The union said this has imposed an avoidable financial burden on drivers already grappling with low and uncertain incomes.

Bike taxis, permits and insurance concerns

Unions have also renewed demands for stricter action against what they call “illegal” bike taxi services and the use of private, non-commercial vehicles for commercial rides. According to driver bodies, this has created unfair competition for licensed drivers and worsened income pressure.

They further alleged that accident victims involving illegal bike taxis are often denied insurance benefits, leaving riders and drivers exposed.

Income stress in a growing gig economy

The strike comes amid wider scrutiny of gig work conditions. The Economic Survey 2025–26 flagged income instability as a key concern even as the gig economy expands rapidly. It noted that around 40% of gig workers earn less than Rs 15,000 a month.

The Survey said India had about 1.2 crore gig workers in FY25, up from 77 lakh in FY21, driven by smartphone adoption and digital payments. Gig work now accounts for over 2% of the workforce and is growing faster than overall employment, it added, while calling for greater transparency in algorithm-driven systems used by digital platforms.