New Delhi: The Supreme Court has banned the operation of bike taxis like Uber, and Rapido in New Delhi for the time being.
A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal on Monday stayed Delhi high court orders that allowed aggregators like Rapido and Uber to ply two-wheelers as taxis until the Delhi government notifies pertinent regulations.
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“In our opinion, an interim order staying the whole-scale operation of a statutory regime till the finalisation of policy was unwarranted and we stay both the impugned orders passed by the Delhi high court,” said the bench while disposing of the appeal by the Delhi government.
The bench, in its order, however, refrained from commenting on the merits of the arguments raised by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd’s Rapido and Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd, both of which offer two-wheeler services.
The court noted that it is for the high court to finally decide all contentions after hearing parties, and that it was currently concerned only with the interim orders passed in May.
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The bench granted liberty to the parties to approach the Delhi high court for early hearing.
The Delhi government in February had imposed a ban on all such operators from offering any bike-taxi services in the Capital under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The Delhi governments warned that riders found violating the rules will be fined up to Rs 10,000 and even face suspension of license for a minimum of three years.
On May 26, the Delhi high court ruled that no coercive action should be taken against two bike taxi aggregators and its riders till the Delhi government notifies the necessary regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The interim order was to continue till August 22, when the high court is expected to take up the matter next.
The Delhi government pointed out that allowing private motorcycle to ply as taxis is in contravention of the Motor Vehicles Act and that the high court order did not specify the reasons while protecting the aggregators for the time being.