The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted time till March 1, 2016, to app-based cab companies to shift away from the diesel platform and convert their taxis to compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel. No further extension of time will be granted for completing the exercise, said the Court.
Hearing a petition, moved by the Association of Radio Taxis, the Bench of Justice Manmohan said it will not allow its July 29 order upholding the Delhi government’s ban on diesel-run cabs to be circumvented through technicalities. The Court said its refusal to lift the ban imposed on Ola cabs will apply uniformly to all other cab companies.
The Judge said companies like Ola and Uber, which were willing to give an undertaking that they would phase out their diesel taxis within the stipulated time frame, will only be allowed to operate till March 1.
The order, applicable to all diesel cabs plying on point-to-point basis in the Capital, has brought all cab companies under the purview of the Delhi government’s ban imposed from January 1 this year.
The Bench said some reasonable time had to be given to the cab services in view of inconvenience caused to the people at large. The Association of Radio Taxis had contended that the Court’s order upholding the ban on diesel cabs was being enforced only against Ola and other app-based taxi services were violating it.
The Court asked Uber India to provide details about the manner in which it would be phasing out its diesel cabs by March 1. It also asked other cab companies to provide suggestions about a mechanism for verification of facts and figures of taxis.
Posting the matter for further hearing on December 3, the Court directed Ola and Uber to file their compliance reports within two weeks.
