App-based transport workers’ union demands immediate notification of minimum base fares

Karnataka App-based Workers Union (KAWU) has written to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and State Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy to immediately notify minimum base fares for app-based transport services, and to prohibit usage of non-commercial vehicles for commercial transport.

The union has announced its participation in the All-India strike on Saturday.

“Due to the long-standing nature of these concerns, and to assert our legitimate demands, app-based workers across platforms and across India will observe an All-India Breakdown on February 7. We urge the relevant authorities to swiftly initiate dialogue with worker representatives to develop regulations for a fair and lawful transportation sector in this digital age,” said a statement from Mohammad Inayath Ali, founding president, KAWU.

Emphasising the protection of driver and rider livelihoods and fare transparency, the union has demanded immediate notification of minimum base fares for app-based transport services, including autos, cabs, bike taxis, and other aggregator services, finalised in consultation with recognised worker unions, as mandated under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025.

“Without regulated base fares for transport services, aggregator companies can unilaterally set fare prices, and riders and drivers are left in precarious, unstable, and exploitative working conditions. This includes, but is not limited to, workers on platforms such as Ola, Uber, Porter, and Rapido,” the letter notes.

The letter further demands “strict prohibition of private non-commercial vehicles being used for commercial passenger and goods transport or mandatory conversion to commercial category vehicles, as per the Motor Vehicles Act and Aggregator Guidelines, 2025”.