The Delhi Police booked over a hundred diesel-run taxi drivers on Monday for plying their vehicles in the city violating the Supreme Court ban, even as cab drivers protesting against the crackdown by police threw traffic out-of-gear by blocking the National Highway 8 and the Ring Road.
“Over 100 drivers were booked till 7 pm on Monday and challans were issued to them. Vehicles were impounded in a few cases,” Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sandeep Goel said.
The errant drivers were booked under Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Cases in which the vehicles had AITP, police officials spoke to the passengers enquiring about their boarding and de-boarding points, a senior official said.
Nearly 150 such diesel-run cab drivers, including several with AITP, were prosecuted on Sunday and many vehicles were impounded, following which the drivers alleged harassment by enforcement agencies.
After extending the deadline twice, the Supreme Court had on Saturday refused to give more time to cab operators to convert to CNG and put a ban on diesel cabs in the city from May 1. The court exempted taxis with all-India tourist permit (AITP) from switching to CNG if they operate outside NCR.