Thousands of Commuters Likely to Be Affected by Tri-City Cab Strike

Residents of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula may face travel difficulties today as app-based cab drivers have gone on strike. Drivers associated with Ola, Uber and InDrive have suspended services on June 9 in support of their demand for an increase in fares. The drivers have announced that they will not pick up passengers between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. They have also warned that if their demands are not addressed, a larger protest will be organized on June 16, including a complete wheel-jam strike. According to the drivers, the strike is expected to affect nearly 50,000 commuters across the Tri-City region. Representatives of the drivers' association stated that the Chandigarh Administration fixed the fare at ₹25 per kilometre in 2025. Since then, the prices of petrol, diesel and CNG have increased several times, but no revision has been made to the fare structure. As a result, drivers are demanding a fare hike. Association members further said they have met administration officials on multiple occasions to raise the issue, but their demands have not yet been addressed. A day earlier, on Monday, cab drivers held a large-scale protest at the Rally Ground in Sector 25, Chandigarh. During the demonstration, protesting drivers expressed their anger against the Chandigarh Administration by carrying out a symbolic funeral procession and raising slogans in support of their demands. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) continues to operate buses on approximately 65 to 70 local and suburban routes across the Tri-City region. These services connect almost all sectors of Chandigarh, as well as major locations including PGI, GMCH-32, the Railway Station, ISBT-17 and ISBT-43. To minimize inconvenience to commuters during the strike, the Chandigarh Administration has released complete details of city bus routes. Bus services will be available at intervals of approximately 15 to 20 minutes, providing an alternative mode of transport for passengers.