The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court’s ruling that allowed bike-taxi aggregators Rapido and Uber to operate in Delhi. The court has directed the Delhi Government not to take any coercive action against these aggregators until a new policy is formulated.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal granted the aggregators the liberty to request an urgent hearing of their pleas before the Delhi High Court.
The bench stayed the Delhi High Court’s May 26 order and recorded the submission made by the Delhi Government’s counsel, stating that the final policy will be notified by the end of July. The Supreme Court was addressing two separate petitions filed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government, challenging the High Court’s order that prohibited any coercive action against the bike-taxi aggregators until the final policy was announced. Last week, the Supreme Court sought a response from the Centre regarding the pleas made by the Delhi Government.
Senior advocate Manish Vashisht, representing the Delhi Government, argued that the High Court’s decision to stay the Government’s notice until the final policy is announced is akin to granting Rapido’s writ petition. On May 26, the High Court issued a notice to the Delhi Government in response to Rapido’s plea challenging a law that excludes two-wheelers from being registered as transport vehicles. The High Court directed that no coercive action should be taken against the bike-taxi aggregator until the final policy was notified.
The High Court, which has listed Rapido’s plea for completion of pleading before the registrar on August 22, said, “The counsel for the petitioners (Rapido) submits that the policy is under active consideration.” It further added, “Accordingly, we hereby stay the notice and make it clear that the stay shall operate till the final policy is notified. However, once the final policy is notified, if the petitioners are still aggrieved, they are at liberty to take steps before the appropriate forum.”