With the lockdown being relaxed in Guwahati, app-based cab aggregators have started operating but the prices have seen a surcharge.

Speaking to The Telegraph, All Assam CAB Operators’ Union’s president Ismail Ali said although the app-based cabs have restarted in the city, there is still a shortage of cabs in the city.

“Most of the cab drivers have gone home as they faced a lot of financial trouble due to unemployment,” he added.

Abhinav Bora, a cab driver, said the reopening of the service is a relief for them as now they can at least earn some money to “buy food for their families”.

“It is not just my family but so many other families have suffered during the lockdown. It is such a huge blow because our income is based on daily earnings,” he added.

Anupam Laskar, another driver, said since the lockdown was imposed in the city, several drivers left for home and as a result, there’s a scarcity of vehicles.

Along with this, the cabe fares have also gone up.

Pabitra Barman, an IT worker, said the cab fares are almost 40 per cent high. “The surging prices will be a problem if we have to commute daily,” he said.

As on Monday, there were only 220 Ola and 300 Uber cabs on the roads against the total registered 12,000 cabs in the city.

Taxi drivers have urged the government to help them with a financial package so that they can at least pay for the servicing cost of the vehicles, which have been sitting ideal for more than a month and also some money to meet their basic needs.