PIL On Diesel Cabs In Delhi: HC Seeks Centre, Delhi Govt's Response | NWI

Delhi High Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the city government on a PIL alleging that diesel cabs were running in the national capital in violation of its and the Supreme Court’s orders.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath issued notice to the Delhi government, traffic police and the Union Transport Ministry seeking their replies on the petition which has alleged that diesel cabs were still providing point to point services in the city, despite court orders.

The court also sought a status report from the Delhi government and traffic police on steps taken by them to implement its order of August 11 and the earlier orders of the apex court against the operation of diesel cabs in Delhi.

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On August 11, the high court had held as “factually incorrect” Ola’s contention that non-CNG commercial vehicles were not barred from plying in the national capital.

It had also said the contention of Ola, an online cab service aggregator, that as per Supreme Court orders taxis only needed to be Euro-II compliant, was “misplaced”.

It had passed the order while dismissing Ola’s plea challenging a single-judge’s July 29 interim order upholding Delhi government’s January 1 ban on operation of app-based cab
services till they complied with modified Radio Taxi Scheme.

In the present PIL by Sandeep Dahiya, filed through advocate Zeyaul Haque, the petitioner has sought that Delhi government and the police be directed to “enforce the orders passed by the High Court and the Supreme Court against diesel taxis operating across point to point basis within Delhi”.

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Dahiya also sought that Delhi government be directed to “forthwith notify and/or implement the directive by respondent 4 (ministry) for licensing of on-demand transportation technology aggregators (like Ola and Uber) insofar as Delhi is concerned”.

The matter is listed for further hearing on October 6. Delhi government had on January 1 banned operation of app-based cab services till they complied with the guidelines
of Radio Taxi Scheme of 2006 which was amended on December 26 last year.

The scheme was amended after a woman executive was allegedly raped in a Uber cab in December last year.