8,000 CNG cabs added, Uber tells HC

App-based cab service provider Uber on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it has aggregated around 8,000 CNG taxis to provide point-to-point service within the national capital territory (NCT).

Justice J.R. Midha was informed by Uber that it has phased out diesel taxis from their platform for plying point-to-point within the national capital.

Since November 6, 2015, the undertaking given by Uber that it will not add diesel cabs to its fleet, only 293 diesel cabs are operating on its platform, but these vehicles are not used to provide point-to-point services within Delhi, said the affidavit filed by the company.

The court had earlier asked Uber to apprise it of the number of the new diesel taxis it has added to its fleet after the court's order that no diesel-based cabs will be included by taxi service providers.

It was hearing a contempt of court plea filed by Ola cabs against Uber claiming that Uber has been flouting court's earlier directives and is still adding and plying diesel vehicles in Delhi.

Uber India accused Ola of submitting "false and fabricated" documents to the court for achieving "illegal business gains".

It made the claim before the court while it was dealing with the specific issue of plying of diesel taxis in Delhi and NCR and had permitted Ola and Uber to convert to CNG fuel by March 31, 2016.

Uber said it "fully complied" with all undertakings given to the high court that it would not add diesel cabs to its fleet in Delhi and termed "false and frivolous" the two instances, pointed out by Ola, of drivers plying diesel cabs under its platform.

"The respondent (Uber)... cannot exercise control over the drivers (who are independent contractors), if they choose to drop a passenger within NCT of Delhi even when the trip had been booked from Delhi to NCR," Ola had charged.

The court would now hear the case next on March 15.