Bengaluru: For the first time, the state govt has revealed the scale of Bengaluru’s app-based cab workforce, estimating that over two lakh drivers are currently associated with ride-hailing aggregators. However, the govt admitted it has no data on how many of these drivers are Bengaluru residents and how many have migrated from other states in search of a livelihood.According to data, Ola has around 45,000 drivers, Uber 77,000 and Rapido 75,000 on their platforms. Together, the three aggregators account for an estimated 1.97 lakh drivers. Overall, more than two lakh drivers are estimated to be associated with app-based cab aggregators in Bengaluru.The city has a total of 2.97 lakh registered cabs, including those operated by independent travel agencies.The disclosure comes amid growing complaints from local taxi drivers’ unions that aggregators are drawing drivers from other states by offering better pay, incentives and other benefits, leaving local drivers struggling to find employment.Transport minister Byrathi Suresh said the govt had noticed that “people from other states were registering in large numbers as drivers with app-based aggregators”, leading to distress among local drivers amid limited employment opportunities.The issue gained traction on social media last week, with videos circulating of youngsters from Kerala, Assam and some north Indian states driving cabs on Bengaluru roads. Several Kannada activists questioned the transport minister’s silence over the alleged loss of driving jobs for locals. They also pointed to neighbouring Maharashtra’s move to crack down on commercial vehicle drivers who do not have a “working knowledge” of Marathi.The govt, however, pointed to the eligibility requirements under Rule 8 of the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016. Under the rules, a taxi driver must have been a resident of Karnataka for at least two years and possess a working knowledge of Kannada and one other language, preferably English.The issue also came up in the legislative council Thursday, with Congress member Vinay Karthik seeking to know whether drivers with criminal antecedents were operating vehicles attached to aggregators.On passenger safety, the govt said Vehicle Location Tracking Devices and emergency panic buttons have been installed in public service vehicles under the Nirbhaya scheme. When a panic button is activated, an alert is sent to the control room, which immediately forwards the alert to the police control room.The minister said aggregators are also required to ensure police verification of the antecedents of every taxi driver before allowing them to operate on their platforms.
