Delhi has banned Ola, Uber and Rapido bike taxis but drivers clueless

Preferred booking an Uber or Rapido bike to save yourself from the Metro crowds? Well, start surviving the claustrophobic work hours in the Metro as that's what the transport ministry seems to be asking from you. 

What

First, Bengaluru. Then, Maharashtra. And now, Delhi has joined the bandwagon of banning ride-sharing applications. In a public notice dated February 20, 2023 (to be effective immediately), the Transport Department of Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi has stated that it would ban the bike taxi services of apps like Ola, Uber, and Rapido.

This ban will be applicable on only the motorcycles as the autos and cab services aren’t banned (yet). 

What’s the reason for this ban? 

To quote the notice that is issued by the Special Commissioner of the Transport Department,

To put it in simpler words, most of the Ola/Uber/Rapido/miscellaneous bikes that you would find usually have private number plates (unlike the yellow taxi number plates that are normally assigned to vehicles registered by the government). As this goes against the norms of the aforementioned 1988 Act, the Transport Ministry has deemed the current bikes unregistered and hence, illegal. 

But what if Ola, Uber, Rapido bike drivers continue driving?

The notice details stringent action against bike riders of such companies if they continue their services.

• If caught, a fine of Rs 5,000 will be charged.
• If the offence is committed again, then a fine of Rs 10,000 will be charged as well as imprisonment.
• If the offence is repeated, the driving license of the driver can also get suspended for a minimum period of three months.

The drivers still don’t know this.

When Dristi Sharma of DailyO booked a bike via Rapido for a trip from Noida to Delhi’s Anand Vihar, the Rapido driver seemed to not know of any such changes. But when she similarly booked another Rapido to Anand Vihar (this time keeping Chandni Chowk as the pickup location), the Delhi-based bike rider had a mixed answer. 

So, while the Delhi government might have announced the notice to be effective immediately since this morning, many drivers would remain oblivious at the moment.

Where is this new rule applicable? 

As the notice clearly mentioned the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, the legal jurisdiction would perhaps be just Delhi, and not the satellite cities of Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Gurugram (Haryana), Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) or Faridabad (Haryana).

So,

• You can still take a Rapido or Ola Bike or Uber Bike from Point A in Noida to Point B in Noida
• You cannot take a Rapido or Ola Bike or Uber Bike from Point A in Noida to Point B in Delhi

Why the apprehension around bike taxi services?

Just weeks ago, the Supreme Court had issued an order banning Rapido bikes in Maharashtra, with the reason being that the ride aggregator doesn’t have the required license to operate bike, taxi, and rickshaw services. Apart from the issue of private registration, most of the fears around private bike services these days are also around user safety. 

Last December, a woman from Kerala was allegedly gangraped by two persons, one of whom was a Rapido driver. The case opened up the debates on feasibility and safety of bike taxis. A major concern was that unlike the four-wheeler cabs, these two-wheelers have no provisions of an emergency button. In the cars, the emergency button can usually alert the nearest police station. 

How are the companies reacting?

While leading bike ride companies like Ola, Uber, and Rapido have not issued any statements in response, it is clear that they will have to figure out the means to turn their “white number plates” into “yellow”. As many bike drivers from such companies used their personally-owned motorcycles, they more than often did not get the vehicles registered for public transport. This has been the common norm. 

But now, with the notice mentioning strict punishment for even aggregator apps involved in providing such bike rides, the companies will definitely face a major blow. 

To quote a paragraph from the public notice, 

It’s perhaps high time to read up on a PDF of the Motor Vehicles Act now!

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