Bhubaneswar, August 17: Odisha is observing a 12-hour bandh on Monday following a call by the Odisha Online Drivers’ Joint Forum in protest against online taxi aggregator companies operating in the state.

The forum has demanded either a ban on online taxi companies or government regulation of fares charged by platforms such as Ola, Uber, Rapido and Odisha Yatri.

The bandh has been backed by 21 organisations and is being observed across districts, with the forum claiming that protests will be particularly strong in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Key demands of online taxi drivers

Regulation of fares:The drivers have demanded that the government and taxi aggregators jointly fix minimum and maximum fares. They also want companies to bear the cost of discounts and promotional offers instead of passing the burden on to drivers.

No arbitrary account blocking: The forum has opposed the blocking of drivers’ accounts without proper investigation or evidence. It has demanded the immediate unblocking of accounts that were suspended without due inquiry.

Payment for waiting time: Drivers have sought proper waiting charges when passengers ask them to wait while they attend to personal work, shopping, pharmacy visits or other activities.

Compensation for traffic delays: The drivers have demanded additional payment for time spent in traffic jams, arguing that prolonged delays increase their working hours and operating costs.

Full cancellation fee for drivers: The forum has demanded that the entire cancellation fee collected from passengers be paid to drivers. It said drivers often incur fuel and other expenses after travelling several kilometres to pick up a passenger, even when the ride is subsequently cancelled.

The association has also demanded that every app-based aggregator operating in Odisha maintain at least one office in the state.

It alleged that drivers operating through intermediaries are being exploited and that the uncontrolled addition of new vehicles to aggregator platforms has created an imbalance between demand and supply. According to the forum, the increased supply has adversely affected the earnings of existing drivers.

The drivers have therefore demanded an immediate halt to new vehicle attachments and proposed that companies be allowed to add vehicles based on a fixed annual limit.

The forum said the demands form the basis of Monday’s statewide bandh and called for support from online taxi drivers across Odisha.