Taxi drivers demand smartphones

The barely 800 drivers of black-and-yellow taxis, who have registered with the taxi unions’ initiative of launching their own app “9211”, have now demanded that they be given smartphones as they cannot afford them. These drivers, who come from economically weak backgrounds, have said that they don’t own Android phones and could not afford data charges. They have now asked the union and particularly, CWD technology which has been given the contract, to provide them with phones. “9211” was launched in February between Bandra and Borivali and is to be launched in Mumbai as well.

Commenting on drivers’ demands , Malay Kothari from CWD said that they have started financing mobiles on the basis of installments. “We have got mobiles for them just a day or two before, for which they pay installments. Other than that, we have given them data free-of-charge for the next two months so they don’t need to worry anymore,” he said.

Mr Kothari said that registration was consciously limited to 800 because the Bandra to Borivali launch is only the beginning.

“We want to work with the drivers and see what problems they face and solve them soon. This will enable us to be well prepared when we actually launch in Mumbai in the coming months. This week, we will be upgrading the application with suggestions and inputs from drivers,” he said.

The application was launched primarily by Mumbai Taximen Union as a way to bring back commuters who were lost to private giants such as Uber, Ola and TabCab.