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29 March 2024

Day 3: More taxi drivers stop work in Sharjah

Taxi drivers are protesting the hike in the minimum daily collection. Picture used for illustrative purposes only. (FILE)

Published
By Joseph George

Sharjah taxi drivers say less than 2000 taxis are currently plying on Sharjah roads as more drivers assembled in front of the Sharjah labour department on Wednesday morning.

Drivers are protesting the recent increase in their daily collection target and “unfair” deduction of Dh50 every day for fuel.

Reacting to company management’s statement that protesting workers are lazy, one driver from Citi taxi said, “I cannot believe that I am being termed lazy for working for the firm for the past ten years, for almost 15 hours a day and without taking weekends off.” He had handed in his resignation on Tuesday when the company management asked all those who are unhappy with the conditions to leave.

As the protest entered the third day, drivers say they are ready to pack up. “We would like to resign and prefer to return home,” one driver said.

While thousands of drivers assembled before the labour department in Sharjah on Tuesday, many more joined Wednesday morning.

A Pakistan driver with Union Taxi said several hundred from the different taxi operators have already informed the labour department officials of their intention to return to their respective countries. He said it is fine for the operators to go for drivers who may come for lower wages.

The protest started on Monday with Union taxi drivers stopping work. They were joined on Tuesday by drivers from Citi Taxi, Emirates Taxi and Advantage Taxi. Each of them run fleets of more than 1,000 cars.

According to a rough estimate, less than 2,000 taxis have been plying Sharjah roads since the protest began.