Maharashtra to ban app based taxi services only after due process

Also plans to revisit the registration and license process and bring in additional set of rules

Maharashtra transport minister Diwakar Raote on Wednesday said the state government will follow the home ministry's advisory to ban app-based taxi services including Uber only after due process is followed. He shared union transport minister Nitin Gadkari's view that banning such services cannot be the ultimate solution.

However, Raote said his department will also look into a bigger issue of the manner in which the licences and permits are provided to operate black and yellow taxis, tourist taxis, app based taxis and operators like Meru and Tab Cabs. Besides, he said his department will examine how drivers get their licences even without police verification.

''I will soon convene a meeting to discuss all these issues. I will also see whether or not the state government has powers to ban on its own, services of app based taxies and others,'' said Raote to Business Standard over phone. He admitted that a proper scrutiny of drivers needed to be done.

In a related development, state Transport Commissioner Mahesh Zagde has convened a meeting in the afternoon of all taxi operators from Mumbai region. An official from the transport commissionerate said in the wake of the Delhi incident, a proper review will be undertaken on the regulations under which operators like Meru and Tab Cabs and private cab aggregators operate in Mumbai region. ''If required new rules and regulations will be put in place for the proper registration of private cab aggregator wih the government,'' the official said.