The proposal to regulate app-based cab services has been lying pending for over 3 months now.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government has been sitting on the City Taxi Scheme 2017 to regulate app-based cab aggregators such as Ola and Uber for the past three months now. The Delhi High Court had asked the city government to formulate the policy at the soonest to ensure the security of women as well as to stop surge pricing for passengers. At present, while the Delhi government has started GPS-tracking of public service vehicles, it cannot track app-based cabs till the time these aggregators are brought under the government control.
According to the sources, the file has been held over by a panel headed by Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain to finalise the policy. The panel constituted in January this year has held only one meeting to discuss the draft till date. The panel also has Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on it.
"The file was approved and sent to Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot last December after which it was also vetted by the law department. It has since been pending with the panel," sources said.
The HC, in a recent hearing on the matter, had taken a stern view on the delay in framing of the policy.
"The app-based aggregators have been taking the advantage of the delay in the policy. Initially, there were some issues raised by the transport minister which were addressed by the department. However, no word on the matter has been received after that," said a Delhi government official.
The delay in finalising the policy, which was supposed to be announced last year, puts passenger safety, in particular, women, at risk, as these cabs cannot be GPS-tracked by the government till brought under their regulation.
The court had asked the Centre to form a panel to frame the guidelines for all kinds of taxi services across states.
Gahlot had earlier told DNA that the policy was expected to be finalised by January end.
UPGRADE TECH
- The need for upgrading technology and a uniform taxi policy was highlighted after the incident of an app-based cab driver was held for raping a woman passenger while she had booked his cab in 2014.
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