Bengaluru: In a relief to commuters who depend on app-based cab pooling services, Uber and Ola share services are back for the next 15 days. The state Transport Department has temporarily withdrawn the ban on cab pool services to hear cab aggregator Uber’s plea. The department had declared the services illegal earlier this week and was planning to start the crackdown from Friday.
“We met Uber officials on Friday. They have requested for 15 days to operate their pool services and we have obliged. All cab aggregator pool services will be allowed to ply for now. In 2-3 days, Uber will file a representation seeking changes to accommodate share services in the Motor Vehicles Act,” Commissioner, Transport and Road Safety, M.K. Aiyappa told Deccan Chronicle.
“We will go through their representation and see how best it can be added to the existing law. We might consult the Centre too, if need be," he said.
The bone of contention is the legal clause, where services like Ola and Uber come under Contract Carriage Act, meaning they can only pick up and drop a customer with no stops en route. In response to the government's declaration that this service is illegal, Uber had launched an online petition to garner public support on the service reducing pollution, saving fuel and decongesting roads. Close to 20,000 citizens supported the campaign. While their target is 50,000 votes, Ola too has launched a #BLRDoYourShare campaign to garner opinion.
Uber spokesperson said, “The law permits a contract carriage permit holder to stop to pick up or set down passengers who are included in the contractual understanding with the driver. UberPool fulfils this requirement and we believe that it does not violate the contract carriage permit.”
Ministry wanted carpooling!
Interestingly, a committee formed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways encourages shared mobility in a report dealing with taxi permits.
In one of its seven goals, the report, dated December 15, 2016, states, “Increase shared transport and limit private car ownership to alleviate congestion and pollution."
The guidelines in the report recommend a national policy intervention to promote shared services. It also proposes an online platform for granting permits, including online conversion of compliant personal vehicles to commercials taxis. None of these points are a reality as of yet.
Asked about an online system to grant permits, Mr Aiyappa said, “We already have online portals to issue licences to cabs. The point mentioned in the guidelines for allowing online conversion of personal vehicles to commercial taxis is not there yet. For that, the law needs to be amended.”
