The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Uber

  • Tube strike shuts London underground

    Tube strike shuts London underground

    • The ongoing strike by London’s underground public rapid transit system has shut the capital city of England leaving millions of commuters stranded.

    The industrial action is London’s largest in 13 years and witnesses more than 20, 000 workers shunning works over pay and night shifts.

    Very significantly, London is hard hit by the strike as all four of the main Tube unions are involved as well as First Great Western rail services making the impact severe on London commuters.

    Tube is London’s underground public rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and parts of the home counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.

    Tube but strike
    Empty tube passage

    Additional information from a UK based media house, TheTelegraph has it that the tube strike has caused misery for a number of commuters who have struggle to get to work – with some journeys taking as much as four times longer.

    Taxi firm, Uber has been criticised for increasing its prices by almost 300 per cent to cash in on the chaos. London’s Mayor Boris Johnson has said the strike was “totally unnecessary” and was causing huge disruption to Londoners and to businesses.

    London Underground said it had received no response to the latest “fair and competitive” pay offer made to unions on Monday, urging that it be put to workers.

    However unions say the 24-hour tube service due begin in September will wreck work/life balance for its staff. Business groups said the strike will cost the capital’s economy tens of millions of pounds.

    Consequentially, government as estimated the cost of each day the strike lasts to be worth $77 million even as the industrial action is expected to continue on Friday especially for workers.

    • What people are saying:

  • Uber booking service banned in Delhi

    Authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, have banned international taxi-booking service Uber after a driver allegedly raped a female passenger.

    A transport department official said the company had been “blacklisted” for “misleading customers”.

    The 26-year-old woman used the smartphone app to take a taxi home on Friday but says she was taken to a secluded area and raped.

    The driver has been remanded in custody for three days.

    He was arrested on Sunday and appeared in court on Monday afternoon.

    Some who had gathered outside the court tried to attack him as he was brought out, but police rushed him to a waiting van and took him away.

    Police say will charge him with raping the finance company employee on Friday night when she used the taxi to take her home from a restaurant.

    Uber, which is growing in popularity in India, has been accused of failing to conduct adequate checks on its drivers.

    “(The) Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect,” news agency AFP reported, quoting from a government statement.

    The ban means any Uber taxi in Delhi will now attract a fine or even be impounded, officials say.