Rapido, Ola and Uber bike taxis banned in Delhi until July 31: What you need to know
Bad news for Rapido users. Bike-taxi services provided by aggregators like Rapido, Ola and Uber will not be available in Delhi for the time being.
What
This decision was taken by the Supreme Court, which suspended the order of the Delhi High Court that allowed these aggregators to operate in the city until a new policy was formulated.
The story so far
On May 26 this year, the Delhi High Court permitted Rapido, Ola and Uber to offer their bike-taxi services in Delhi; instructing the Delhi government not to take any coercive action against them until a new policy was established.
Kaam bada ho ya chhota, usko anjaam dene nikal pade ho toh don’t look further than Rapido.
— Rapido (@rapidobikeapp) May 16, 2023
Jaana ho kahin duur ya paas, Rapido se chalo ekdum first class!#BikeWaliTaxi #RapidoBikeTaxi pic.twitter.com/VhrwiLLFYW
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government, headed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, challenged the Delhi High Court's order in the Supreme Court.
- The government disagreed with the High Court's decision to delay any action against the bike-taxi aggregators until the final policy was announced.
- A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal, however, granted Rapido, Ola and Uber the liberty to request an urgent hearing of their plea in the Delhi High Court.
The latest
During the June 12 hearing, the Supreme Court reviewed two pleas filed by the Delhi government against the High Court's order that allowed Rapido, Ola and Uber to operate bike-taxis in the national capital until the final policy on non-transport of two-wheeler vehicles was notified.
Previously, on May 26, the High Court had issued a notice to the Delhi government in response to Rapido's plea challenging a law that excluded two-wheelers from being registered as transport vehicles. The court directed that no coercive action should be taken against the bike-taxi aggregator until the final policy was announced.
The Delhi government stated that the approval of the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2023 was still pending from the competent authority. The government's plea argued that the bike-taxis operated by the aggregators should not be allowed without complying with necessary conditions, such as police verification, installation of GPS devices, panic buttons, and other safety measures for both passengers and road safety.
Supreme Court puts on hold the Delhi High Court order staying a notice of city government to bike-taxi aggregators Rapido and Uber and allowing them to operate without aggregator licenses till the final policy has been notified. pic.twitter.com/8jBElM1CQk
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2023
The problem with bike-taxis
The bench asked the counsel for the Delhi government about the bike-taxis' use of private number plates and whether they had permission to operate under such plates. The counsel responded that bike-taxis must obtain a license.
The state government has drafted a policy on bike-taxis and has invited public comments regarding the matter. The Supreme Court had previously highlighted the high risks associated with bike-taxis due to the lack of insurance coverage in the event of accidents.
ALSO READ: A week of Delhi ban on bike taxis; Ola, Uber, Rapido drivers fall back on jugaad to survive
Rapido also challenged a show-cause notice issued by the city government, claiming that it violated fundamental and constitutional rights and was passed without adhering to the principles of natural justice.
Earlier this year, the Delhi government issued a public notice cautioning bike-taxis against operating in the city and warned that aggregators would be liable for fines up to Rs 1 lakh if violations occurred.