Strike all you want, app-based taxi services Ola and Uber aren't going anywhere

I almost missed my flight out of India yesterday because the Ola cab driver that arrived three minutes after being called on the app gently and sadly refused to take me to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on the grounds that we might get blocked by the 20-odd taxi (yellow-tops) and autorickshaw unions. He said he could drop me a couple of kilometres short of the airport and I could leg it from there.With luggage in tow, that was not an option and running short of time, I was reduced to requesting neighbours if their drivers could take me. Finally, one driver felt pity and since his boss was out of the city, took the risk of misusing his vehicle.En route, I saw several Ola and Uber cabs stopping short of the airport and passengers and others in private cars being flagged down so they could complete their journey. It was heartening to see several private vehicles doing just that.I am not so sure what the beef is and what this strike was for but this is exactly how we thwart progress. I was introduced to Ola by a friend. It works. They come in moments, they don’t argue, they don’t dump you, they have WiFi, a GPS, they are in touch with their offices, have clean cars, they message you afterwards and they say 'thank you'.[caption id="attachment_2918490" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. News18[/caption]And they cost less.Compare that to surly, ill-mannered autorickshaw drivers who hold a quiz contest about where you are going, drive off so often leaving you stranded when you tell them where you wish to go and spray you with contempt. Yellow-tops that do the same, charge more than Uber and Ola and give you a smelly treat in cover-ripped interiors of cabs that look like burnt-out slippers.If you want to go on strike, get your act together first.Why would the passenger not take these app-based services? Especially when they are cheaper, more comfortable and reliable and convenient than these cabbies and autos.We want to be a more progressive country, so let’s be more progressive. If the 90,000 autos and the 1,500 cabs in the capital have been cheating us and treating us like dirt for years and the same story holds true in every Indian metro. Why should we have any sympathy?It has nothing to do with poor guys and snatching their daily bread, turn them all into an app-based facility with rules of conduct.And as far as political support is concerned, both the AAP and the BJP can take a hike. You go against against good service and a proper system, and you are hurting the people of this city and every other city. You talk about your livelihood being threatened. These unions have done nothing to improve service, they are an unpleasant exercise at the best of times and we have been at the receiving end for years.How often have we stood there begging an auto driver to take us to Sundernagar or RK Puram and he has roared off without a backward glance?That’s my point. Let’s not go backwards.Become competitive in every sense of the word or you will be sidelined regardless of the number of strikes you hold or the protests you make. The public is tired of your blackmailing inefficiency.And let us ask Rajender Soni, general secretary of Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union, what he would do if he had to get somewhere in a hurry.He says action should be taken against Uber and Ola. What action? For being user friendly. Cheaper. Cheaper. Cheaper.For once, let this powerful union be honest with itself. Tell your members to smarten up. Get real. Uber and Ola are here to stay and there will be ten more like them. You cannot fight better service with emotional arm-twist.Tomorrow, there will be an auto rickshaw equivalent that will be courteous, professional and gracious enough not to leave you in the lurch.If Narendra Modi’s government wants progress then improvement in public transportation is a pivot. You want us to be hi-tech and then wait on the road pleading with a string of auto drivers who don’t even look up and acknowledge you?And the same goes for you, too, Arvind Kejriwal, don't mess with things that show improvement.Give me Ola and Uber any day.The people driving them are not rich either. They are also making a living. And they say 'thank you'.