Cab drivers hold protest over illegal self-driving rentals

Chennai: A protest by taxi operators against a self-driving rental firm in Pallavaram turned tense on Tuesday, prompting police intervention and seizure of vehicles. The agitators complained that private cars were being illegally rented out through the platform, hurting licensed taxi operators who pay commercial permit taxes.Police said the protest led to a scuffle near the firm's parking yard, following which two cars were seized and parked at the Pallavaram police station, while keys of 10 other cars were confiscated. "These will be handed over to regional transport office (RTO) officials for further enquiry," police said.The Federation of Tamil Nadu Auto and Call Taxi Drivers' Associations warned of larger protests if transport authorities failed to act. "The action taken should serve as a strong warning to those renting out private-use vehicles. If officials fail to act, we will besiege the Meenambakkam RTO or JTC office tomorrow with hundreds of drivers," said Zakir Hussain, President of the federation.The firm named ‘Zone Cars', which has expanded operations to Madurai, Coimbatore, and Trichy, markets itself as a platform for private car owners to earn between 15,000 and 55,000 a month by renting out their idle vehicles. The firm advertises rentals at 105/hour and long trips for 1,500/day with unlimited kilometres, allowing bookings to be extended for up to six months.Though Tamil Nadu govt allows private cars to be converted for commercial use, it requires RTO-level approvals and payment of additional taxes for permits. Taxi operators argue that car owners using platforms such as Zone Cars bypass these requirements, leading to unfair competition.