The High Court on Wednesday refused to hear a plea seeking measures to regulate radio cabs in the national Capital, stating that the matter is already pending for consideration before the Bench headed by Chief Justice G Rohini, “It is not for every incident that occurs here, you will file a separate writ petition,” the Bench said.
Rejecting a request by a lawyer that stated that despite the ban order imposed on the US-based cab service provider Uber, it is still plying in Delhi, a Bench of justices Mukta Gupta and VP Vaish said the matter is pending for consideration before the Bench headed by Chief Justice G Rohini, so there is “no urgency” to take up the issue through this petition.
The petition was raised after another Uber driver had allegedly tried to kiss a female passenger during a ride to Gurgaon. The plea had alleged that the cab service is flouting existing norms and guidelines made by the Government.
The court’s oral observation was made when the plea was mentioned before it by advocate Venkatesh who sought the direction that the plying of Uber be banned as they are not complying with Delhi Government Transport Department’s decision issued December last year. He said until and unless the court intervened, they will continue to operate flouting rules.
Delhi Government had on December 8 last year banned Uber and 20 other such companies, including Ola Cabs, from operating in Delhi following the rape of a 27-year-old woman executive on December 5, 2014 night by a driver of the cab service provider.
The High Court is already hearing PIls filed by lawyers who have also sought action against all radio taxi companies which were flouting regulations. Their plea claimed that even though the Delhi Government had created a ‘Radio Taxi Scheme, 2006’, which lays down the terms and conditions for licensing of taxi services, including character verification of the driver, the scheme was not being followed.
The lawyer sought banning and prosecution of “web/mobile- based cab providing companies which are not adhering to the mandatory provisions of the law regulating the business of renting motor cabs with immediate effect”.