Ola, Uber, Rapido face heat as Maharashtra drivers go on strike over pay, policy gaps
Ola, Uber, and Rapido face a one-day strike across Maharashtra as thousands of drivers protest low pay, unfair practices, and lack of regulation. Services in major cities may be disrupted. The government plans to announce a new aggregator policy to cap surge pricing and fix driver payouts, but unions warn of an indefinite strike if demands aren’t met.
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App-based mobility brands Ola, Uber and Rapido are bracing for a major disruption across Maharashtra on Thursday, as thousands of taxi and bike-taxi drivers plan a one-day strike demanding fair pay, social security and stricter regulation of aggregator platforms, as per the media reports.
The protest, led by multiple driver unions, is set to impact services in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad, potentially crippling urban commutes for a day. Drivers have accused platforms of “unfair commission cuts and arbitrary account deactivations”, alleging that government inaction has enabled exploitative practices in the ride-hailing ecosystem.
The strike comes at a time when consumer trust and platform reliability are key differentiators for mobility brands. Frequent driver unrest and pricing disputes have raised concerns around brand perception and consistency of service experience, especially in competitive urban markets.
As per the reports, Ola and Uber have been positioning themselves as tech-driven, consumer-first brands, but persistent friction with driver partners highlights the fragile balance between platform growth and stakeholder welfare. Rapido, which operates in both cab and bike-taxi segments, faces additional scrutiny as drivers allege that the bike-taxi model is cannibalizing traditional cab revenues.
Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has assured that a new aggregator policy will be announced within two days. The framework is expected to cap surge pricing, fix minimum driver payouts and mandate social security benefits.
With drivers threatening an indefinite strike if demands remain unmet, the disruption will test not just commuter patience, but also how effectively brands communicate, compensate and collaborate during crises.
