After a number of strikes and driver protests against it, cab hailing company Uber has approached the Bombay High court seeking Rs 12 crore in damages from certain taxi owners and driver associations for disrupting its operations hurting its reputation.
“The defendants are deliberately, unlawfully and wrongfully resorting to violence and intimidation under the garb of strikes and protests in Mumbai and thereby restraining drivers associated with the plaintiff’s mobile app from operating and pursuing livelihood,” the suit said.
Uber also alleged that the defendants have damaged the cabs, snatched the drivers’ mobile phones in which the Uber app was installed, abused and beat the drivers up, or incited Uber drivers to strike work.
The cab aggregator also claimed that there have been 830 incidents when its drivers or passengers were harassed.
The Bombay High Court after listing the arguements by Uber has passed an interim order, thereby restricting taxi unions from stopping Uber drivers.
Justice S J Kathawalla, who was heading the bench, said, “I am prima-facie of the opinion that, injunction orders, restraining defendants are required to be passed,”
The Court also directed the joint commissioner of police (traffic) to ensure that such taxi unions are not able to stop drivers from working in Mumbai.
