Over a Month Waiting for Gasoline Quota: App-Based Taxi Drivers Left in Limbo

Registering information does not, in itself, constitute support. A driver who has registered their information in the relevant system expects a clear response from the government and responsible agencies in return for this cooperation.

A promise that did not reach the fuel station;

According to Ambassador Arjan, more than a month has passed since the increase in the price of Azad gasoline, but the internet taxi drivers are still waiting for their fuel quota to be determined. A quota that was supposed to take part of the pressure of fuel costs off the shoulders of this group, but despite the promises made and the call to register the drivers' information, there is still no clear news about when the deposit will be made or how it will be allocated. In the meantime, drivers who spend a significant part of their daily time on the streets, have to fill their tanks several times with free gasoline; An expense that is directly deducted from their limited income.

The problem is not only the delay in paying a fuel quota; The issue is the precariousness of a job whose income is highly dependent on the price of gasoline, the amount of travel, and daily expenses. When fuel prices rise, but the promised support mechanism remains unclear, the first to feel the pressure of the decision are drivers who depend on internet taxis to make ends meet.

call for information registration; A promise that has not yet been fulfilled

In the past months, the issue of allocating gasoline quota to internet taxi drivers has been accompanied by promises and notifications about registering information and identifying beneficiaries. These calls created the expectation that the information of the drivers is going to be collected, their activity level will be investigated and the fuel quota will be allocated according to their working conditions. It was natural for drivers to register the necessary information and wait for the implementation of the plan, hoping to reduce their costs.

But now the main question is: What was the result of this information registration? Has the list of beneficiaries been finalized? When and by what mechanism are quotas allocated? If the quota is supposed to be calculated based on the amount of navigation or activity of the drivers, why is there no clear schedule yet?

Registration of information, by itself, is not considered support. A driver who has registered his information in the relevant system expects to receive a clear answer from the government and the responsible institutions for this cooperation. If the implementation of the project is faced with a technical, administrative or financing problem, then the least that can be expected is to declare it explicitly. Silence or vague notifications only add to the confusion of those who face real and immediate costs every day.

More than a month with more expensive gasoline; No news of quota

The increase in the price of free gasoline is not just a change in the price posted on the stand board for the internet taxi drivers; This increase means an increase in the cost of daily activities. A driver who has to travel long hours in the city to earn money cannot minimize the use of the car like a normal consumer. Further navigation is an integral part of his job.

When a driver makes multiple trips throughout the day, his fuel consumption is also much higher than most private cars. As a result, he may visit the gas station several times during the week and buy gas at a free price to continue his activities. Repetition of this cost during a month consumes a significant amount of his income; That is before expenses such as car depreciation, oil change, repairs, tires, insurance and other business expenses are calculated.

In such a situation, the passage of more than a month since the increase in the price of Azad gasoline, without clarifying the status of the promised quota, raises serious questions about the timing and efficiency of support policies. If this quota was supposed to help reduce the economic pressure on drivers, why was the implementation mechanism not implemented at the same time as the increase in costs? Why should the driver pay more today and still wait for possible protection?