App cabs to go on a 12-hour strike on Monday in Kolkata over 11-point demands
Commuters in Kolkata are bracing for significant travel disruptions at the start of the week following a 12-hour strike called by app-based cab unions. The strike will begin at 6:00 AM on Monday and continue until 6:00 PM, during which no app-cab services will operate across the city. Passengers relying on ride-hailing services during peak office hours are expected to face severe inconvenience due to the complete suspension of vehicle availability.
The strike call comes in response to an 11-point charter of demands raised by driver associations, with fare hikes being a central issue. Operators have expressed growing discontent over rising operational expenses, including fluctuating fuel costs and platform commission structures, which they claim have severely impacted their daily earnings. Unions stated that repeated appeals to authorities and aggregator management yielded no resolution, forcing them to resort to street protests.
Transport services across major hubs, office quarters, and transit points are anticipated to remain crippled throughout the day. Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys well in advance and rely on alternative public transport modes such as buses, metro services, and local trains. Meanwhile, union representatives warned that further agitational steps could be taken if their core demands are not addressed promptly by the administration and app aggregators.