According to officials, pool rides, which are generally offered at discounted rates, will no longer be allowed as under the Motor Vehicles Act-1988, there is no provision to pick up passengers on the way.
At a time when cities across the world are stressing on measures such as car-pooling to combat vehicular pollution, the shared cab rides in Delhi might soon become illegal. The move is a part of the Delhi government's soon-to-be-implemented City Taxi Scheme, which is aimed at regulating app-based taxi aggregators, such as Ola and Uber.
According to officials, pool rides, which are generally offered at discounted rates, will no longer be allowed as under the Motor Vehicles Act-1988, there is no provision to pick up passengers on the way. The development will come as a huge blow to thousands of regular commuters who have become used to this easy and economical means of transport.
Earlier this year, the Karnataka government had also banned pool rides in Bangalore. When queried, Transport Department officials said ride-sharing could not be allowed till the Union government amended the Act. "Ride-sharing is not allowed in the Act. Contract carriage licenses issued to private aggregators do not allow cabs to pick and drop passengers from different points. This accounts for permit violations," an official said. The draft of the new policy, being prepared by the Transport Department, will first be sent to Minister Kailash Gahlot, and then after the Cabinet approval, it will be sent to the Lieutenant Governor. "The scheme is almost in place and will be notified for public suggestions soon," the official added.
City Taxi Scheme
In 2015, the Delhi govt had launched the scheme that is now being updated.
Under the scheme, it will be mandatory to install GPS and a ‘panic’ button
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