ISLAMABAD: Taxi drivers on Sunday protested services provided by ridesharing apps and damaged a vehicle used by such a service at Rawal Dam Chowk.

Murree Road was blocked for almost an hour, bringing hundreds of vehicles to a standstill while the protests argued with police.

Taxi drivers also protested in Bani Gala and outside the National Press Club throughout the day, and warned that they would take further steps if their issues are not addressed.

The president of the Taxi Drivers Welfare Association, Malik Aftab, who did not participate in the protest, told Dawn that things were slipping out of control because the district administration was not ready to consider the problem.

Mr Aftab also alleged that 35 taxi drivers had been arrested. However, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mushtaq said no taxi drivers have been arrested.

Murree Road blocked for almost an hour, protests held in Banigala, outside NPC

Mr Mushtaq said the assistant commissioner has also been directed to hold a dialogue with the protesters, to prevent situations such as blocked roads or inconvenienced citizens in the future.

“I have filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) so I decided not to participate in the protest. The next hearing date is Sept 14, so a large number of cabbies will be at the IHC and after the hearing I will resign from the post of president,” Mr Aftab said.

Mr Aftab said app-based taxi services had become a problem for the earnings of almost 40,000 families running licensed taxis in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

He added that competition between app-based services and licensed taxis was impossible, as four taxes have been imposed on licensed cabs while app-based car services run without paying any taxes.

He said private cars that are used as taxis have allowed bureaucrats, business professionals and other well-off individuals to direct their drivers and pick and drop children from school and then earn money through app-based taxi services.

“We have been paying many taxes, such as the conversion duty of vehicles from car to cab, our vehicle is examined twice a year and a fee is paid each time. After every three years, the permit of the cab is renewed. Moreover, the cab’s token fee is more than double that of a private car. We also have to paint our cars to get a licence,” he said.

He added that private cars used by app-based services can enter the Red Zone, which licensed cabs are not allowed to do, adding that “it has been made impossible to compete with app-based services”.

The Islamabad district administration, in December last year, issued notices to app-based taxi services to stop operating because they were not using commercial vehicles to provide their services.

Three days after the notices were issued, offices of these services were raided and sealed, after which services resumed in the city.

App-based services allow customers to hire a cab using a smartphone application, which then picks them up at their door and is cheaper than other taxis.

Mr Aftab alleged that such services were being used to whiten black money, because they claim to pay drivers Rs10,000 a day.

“If this is correct, 17pc GST should be imposed on them. In simple words, the government is facing loss because of app-based services, as they do not pay taxes and duties,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2017