Inter-state taxis in capital: HC seeks Centre's response

The Delhi High Court today sought response from the Centre and the city government on a plea alleging that diesel powered inter-state taxis operating in the national capital were violating a Supreme Court directive.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice P S Teji issued notice to the Centre and Delhi government's transport department seeking their reply before March 4, 2015.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Sanjeev Beniwal, alleging that number of taxi operators like Uber, Ola, Taxi for sure and Meru have been violating Supreme Court directive by using diesel-fuelled vehicles as city/radio taxis.

"The taxis which have been registered in Delhi to ply inter-state and having the Contract Carriage Permit should not ply as city taxi in Delhi," the plea said.
It said that the Delhi government has been violating the Supreme Court's order that buses, autorickshaws etc shall run on CNG so that air pollution can be curbed.
The plea has contended that the judgment of the apex court was passed with a view to check rapid deterioration of the air quality in Delhi which has been becoming a health hazard.

Claiming that the air pollution in Delhi has increased sharply in recent years, the plea states that most of these taxis which have contract carriage permit do not run on CNG and cause air pollution.

It, further, said that the Supreme Court's verdict of exemption from mandatory CNG use in the vehicle was granted to vehicles traveling from Delhi to another states, in view of the genuine problem of CNG unavailability across the country all India permit was granted this exemption to run on diesel.
"All the mentioned companies have not installed GPS devises, thereby violating and putting the public safety at risk," it said.
In his petition, Beniwal has also given reference to the recent case, where a driver contracted with an international taxi service allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman.
"No other taxi should be allowed to ply in Delhi which do not comply with the terms and conditions envisaged in terms and conditions for Radio Taxi scheme 2006 formed by transport department in the interest and safety of public at large," it added.