Kolkata: West Bengal Online Cab Operators Guild (WBOCOG) is all set to urge the state Transport department to restrict private online taxi hailing service providers from laying off employees amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Cab aggregators Ola and Uber are sacking drivers mentioning significant dip in the companys revenues due to nationwide lockdown to prevent COVID-19. Ola and Uber drivers are spending sleepless nights and committing due to unemployment. Ola and Uber drivers are choosing the path of suicide. We want the state government to look into it. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to submit a deputation to the state Transport department at 2 pm on Tuesday," said Indranil Banerjee, general secretary of WBOCOG. He reiterated that Ola driver Gopal Haldar (28), a resident of CIT Scheme Quarters, under the Manicktala Police Station, committed suicide last week. "He (Haldar) was under depression due to uncertainties surrounding the financial recovery owing to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, he did not leave a suicide note," pointed out Banerjee. While 25000 cabs (both Ola and Uber) used to ply across the city during the pre-lockdown period, only 3000 buses are running in the city at present. Earlier, the drivers used to earn at least Rs 500 on a daily basis. Now, they are earning Rs 150 because of reduction in the number of cab bookings due to lockdown to prevent COVID-19. While Uber had downsized almost one-fourth of its staff in India in May, it has also shut down its Mumbai office.

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