App cab operators in Kolkata have called a 12-hour strike on Monday, 28 July, suspending services from 6 am to 6 pm, leaving daily commuters across the city facing a near-total absence of ride-hailing options during peak hours. The shutdown has been called to press an 11-point charter of demands, with a fare revision topping the list.

Key Demands Behind the Strike

A circular issued to app cab drivers outlines the core grievances. Operators are demanding that fares be restructured in line with rising petrol and diesel prices, and that tariffs for AC luxury cabs be increased separately. The circular also calls for a ban on private bikes and cars being used in commercial transport, resolution of the CNG availability crisis in Kolkata, and an end to the practice of using mobile numbers for pollution-related compliance in commercial vehicles.

Drivers to March to State Transport Department

App cab drivers have been asked to assemble at Ramlila Park in central Kolkata at 11 am on Monday, from where they will march to the West Bengal State Transport Department to submit a formal deputation. A member of an app cab operator association said the demands had been raised with the previous government as well, without result. 'We had raised the same demands with the previous government as well. We have also raised demands with the new government. Tomorrow, we will march from Ramlila Park to the State Transport Department. We will give a deputation, mentioning our demands. We hope that the new government in the state will give us a patient hearing. The previous government did not pay heed to our demands and app cab drivers continue to face hardship in the changing times,' the operator said.

Impact on Commuters

The strike is expected to cause significant disruption to Monday morning and afternoon commutes in Kolkata. App-based cab services have become a primary mode of transport for a large section of city residents, offering doorstep pickup around the clock with a single tap. With the strike covering the full working day — 6 am to 6 pm — commuters will need to rely on buses, metro, and auto-rickshaws, which may be insufficient to absorb the surge in demand.

Background and Context

This is not the first time Kolkata's app cab operators have threatened industrial action. Drivers argue that fares set on ride-hailing platforms have not kept pace with fuel cost increases, squeezing their earnings. The CNG supply shortage has added a further layer of operational stress. Notably, the demands now being pressed on the new state government mirror those that went unaddressed under the previous administration, suggesting a structural impasse between operators, aggregator platforms, and state regulators. With West Bengal having recently seen a change in government, operators appear to be testing whether the new administration is more receptive to their concerns.