Bombay HC restrains Pune auto rickshaw unions from disrupting Uber services

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday restrained rickshaw unions in Pune from obstructing the services of app-based aggregator service Uber during their protest, and asked police to provide protection to its vehicles if necessary.

Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd has moved the HC fearing that its operations across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities would be disrupted during a protest announced by Baghtoy Rikshaw-wala Union and others. The protest was supposed to start from Wednesday. Justice R I Chagla said the company had made out a "strong prima facie case for grant of ex-parte ad-interim relief". An ex-parte order is an order passed in the absence of one of the parties to a litigation. The court restrained the unions and their members from stopping, blocking, or assaulting Uber's driver-partners or passengers, and from interfering in its business.

The HC also directed the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to provide immediate police protection to Uber's vehicles if any complaint is received.

"The traffic police shall ensure that the vehicles of Uber are not stopped, blocked or otherwise prevented from plying on the roads and neither their vehicles nor their mobile devices are subjected to damage, seizure, or confiscation. The police shall also further provide all necessary police aid and protection to the Plaintiff, its employees, driver-partners, and their property or offices," the court said.

Uber claimed that there was a threat that all its vehicles would be stopped and possibly damaged. Advocate Virag Tulzapurkar, its lawyer, referred to recent notices issued by police in Chikhali and Baner areas cautioning the protestors not to disturb public order. Auto rickshaw unions are threatening and stopping Uber drivers, preventing them from working, and even damaging vehicles, Tulzapurkar said, showing a photograph of a vehicle with a smashed rear windscreen. The next hearing will be held on August 6.