Centre to vet hail taxi's surge price

Mumbai/Delhi: Even as the Transport ministry in Delhi is setting up a high-level committee to look into various issues pertaining to taxi operators, including existing permits and surge pricing by app-based service providers like Ola and Uber, three taxi unions in Mumbai had called for a taxi and auto strike on Monday and August 31 respectively in protest against the Uber and OLA cabs being free from any rules or regulations that govern taxis in Mumbai.

However the August 29 strike has been called off after the transport commissioner of Mumbai called a meeting on Sunday to urge the Unions to call off their strike. At the time of writing this report only one Union is going ahead with the strike on August 31.

Shashank Rao of the Mumbai Auto and Taximen’s Union said: “The commissioner had called a meeting last October saying that draft rules would be issued for these taxi aggregators Uber and Ola on issues like surge pricing etc., by January 2016,  but nothing has happened till today and now they are saying that the Delhi transport ministry is looking into the issue. This issue has been going on for two years.” Mr Rao like other union leaders say they have nothing against private taxi operators but here the two aggregators are above the law. But he said “Call me on Aug. 30 I will let you know.”   

The Bombay High Court had on Wednesday on a petition filed by the association of radio taxi cabs like Meru and Tabcabs, seeking a complete ban on website and app-based cab companies like Ola and Uber asked the Maharashtra government under what policy private cab companies like Uber and Ola are plying in the state and how they are permitted to run with tourist permits.  

The court asked the government which said it was going to frame a scheme, to send it to the court by September 2. Meanwhile the Delhi transport ministry’s panel is being constituted as per the direction of the Delhi High Court which fixed August 22 as the deadline after which such entities and other taxi operators cannot charge passengers more than the government-fixed rates.

It had observed  that  while taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber reduce the pressure on public transport, “a uniform policy must be devised” for regulating them.

In what is seen as delaying tactics the road transport and highways ministry official said “IT will constitute a 12-member committee to examine all relevant issues related to existing permits given to black/yellow taxis, radio taxis, aggregators etc.”