Three significant policies, including one related to the regulation of app-based taxis in the Capital, were still hanging fire on Monday after a meeting of a high-power committee constituted to formulate these.
Government sources familiar with developments related to the formulation of the policies – the City Taxi Scheme, 2017; the Licensing and Regulation of App-based Cab Aggregator Rules, 2017; and the App-based AC/Premium Bus Service scheme – claimed all three had been prepared and submitted in or by May 2017.
The high-powered committee was formed by the Delhi government in January this year and supposed to submit reports on the three policies within a 10-day deadline, a government source said.
“Dozens of such meetings” had taken place over close to 10 months since, the source added.
“The meeting of the high-powered committee held at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday remained inconclusive. No further date has been decided upon to carry on further discussions on the policies,” said a government source.
“Issues such as whether or not app-based cabs should be allowed to undertake shared rides were discussed yet again. But, the discussion kept going around in circles. The provisions and the broad contours of the policies per se were reiterated like they have been at dozens of meetings since January but no decision was taken regarding their implementation,” said another government source.
Surge pricing
The policies regarding the regulation of cabs seek to address issues such as surge pricing, ride sharing, allowing the registration of commercially-registered cabs only after their owners produce proof of parking, legal clearances for cabs registered in other states plying in Delhi and the linking of GPS systems with a central control room set up by the Delhi Transport Department to enable their a real-time tracking, among others.
Similarly, the policy revolving around the plying of app-based premium buses being operated by private entities across the NCR seeks to bring such vehicles within the existing legal framework in addition to enhancing public transportation facilities in the Capital.
“Till the policies are not implemented, both cabs and buses operating through app-based platforms will continue to ply somewhat without legal regulation; it was expected that the meeting on Monday would clear the three policies for further vetting by the State Transport Authority before their final implementation,” said a government source.
