Ola Cabs ban in Bengaluru: 40,000 drivers affected in city

At least 40,000 drivers are attached to Ola Cabs App-based services through Ola taxi and autos. Many have taken this as an earning model and have bought cars on loans and function as Ola drivers.

Team Newsable

Bengaluru, First Published Mar 23, 2019, 6:04 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 23, 2019, 6:04 PM IST

Bengaluru: Ola Cab ban has affected thousands of drivers attached to the Ola app. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Bengaluru has cancelled the license of app-based Ola Cab services for six months as the company flouted the rules by running bike-taxi services illegally.

According to the rules, Ola service has come to a halt from Saturday (March 23).

At least 40,000 drivers are attached to Ola Cabs App-based services through Ola taxi and autos. Many have taken this as an earning model and have bought cars on loans and function as Ola drivers.

The six month-ban will affect them badly. Reacting to the situation, Jai Bharatha Vehicle Owners & Drivers Association president Chandru said, "We will wait for three more days to see what steps Ola company will take in resolving the issue. Later, the drivers will hold a meeting and take a decision in this regard.

Central government issued an advisory in April asking states to allow non-commercial driving licence holders to operate taxis. But the notification making this arrangement legal was still not out. However, taxi aggregator Ola started to recruit drivers in Bengaluru. It invited those having private driving licences to sign up to drive a sedan leased by Ola.

ALSO READ: Ola clarifies after RTO bans cab aggregator in Bengaluru for 6 months

But the drivers already attached to Ola had cried foul and had said that this would affect their business if anyone with driving license but no car was made Ola drivers.

Ola is known to have put drivers attached with it in trouble. If no action is taken there are chances that Ola drivers shift their loyalties to Uber, that can profit especially at this time when it needs more vehicles and drivers to fill in the growing demand.

ALSO READ: Ola cabs banned in Bengaluru for six months

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