Digital Taxi Drivers Still On Duty Amidst Strike Calls

Digital taxi drivers working with leading taxi hailing apps were still working on Tuesday morning despite a strike call from their leaders.

A spot check by Business Times revealed that a good number of drivers working for Uber and Taxify were still online and ready to take rides.

A request for Uber showed that the driver was six minutes away, while a check on Taxify showed that the driver was one minute away.

The drivers had vowed to down their tools in a push for implementation of better pricing by the dominant app companies, which they say have continued to ignore terms of a deal entered into in July.

Read: These Five Technologies Are Transforming The Travel Experience

“Taxi is a luxury transport and those who want to take this option should be prepared to pay for it. As investors in this industry and key stakeholders, we say no to more oppression by digital apps,” says Mr Wycliffe Alutalala, the secretary Digital Taxi Forum.

The Ministry of Transport had on July 10, agreed to sign a MoU with digital taxi drivers that would have included pricing structures, after a lengthy meeting to iron out grievances that saw them down their tools.

The agreements made in July have not been effected to date, that prompted today’s failed strike.