“Almost 60-70% commercial cars plying in Delhi are registered in bordering states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana…if these cabs are not allowed to enter Delhi, it could create supply disruptions and inconveniences for passengers,” an executive with a cab aggregator platform said.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
| Offering College | Course | Website |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Delhi | IITD Certificate Programme in Data Science & Machine Learning | Visit |
| Indian School of Business | ISB Digital Transformation | Visit |
| Indian School of Business | ISB Professional Certificate in Product Management | Visit |
Ride-hailing platform Uber has opposed the move in a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi-National Capital Territory. In its communication, a copy of which has been reviewed by ET, the company said that such movement restrictions are “impractical and hard to execute”.
“This would be akin to mobility lockdown for citizens of Delhi NCR (National Capital Region, which includes parts of other states) who would be left in the lurch if they need to access critical infrastructure like the airport, railway stations and even major hospitals,” Uber wrote. The platform has around 70,000 taxis, running either on compressed natural gas (CNG) or electricity-driven, on its platform.
On Wednesday, Delhi’s transport minister Gopal Rai announced that the state government would ban the entry of app-based taxis from other states into the national capital. However, taxis with Delhi registration numbers would be allowed entry.
The decision came after the Supreme Court observed during a hearing on the rising air pollution in Delhi that a large number of cabs carrying only a single passenger have registrations in other states.
Discover the stories of your interest
The court had asked that these should be monitored so that only Delhi-registered taxis ply during the current period. In response to a query, Uber said, “While we haven’t received any order from the transport department, we want to reiterate that all the cars on the Uber platform in Delhi are CNG or electric and shared mobility helps more people commute in fewer cars.”
Ola did not comment on the development.
“The announcement from the Delhi government was quite vague and the industry is awaiting clarity through a written order on what will be banned and what will be exempted…we are waiting for the order, which is expected to be issued tomorrow (Friday),” the executive cited above, said. “Right now, there isn’t enough clarity to even say that electric cars will be allowed or not,” he added.
In addition to CNG-run cars, cab aggregators have also increasingly started operating electric vehicles (EVs). A source said that most of the EVs operating on Uber’s platform, managed by its fleet partner Everest Fleet, are registered in Delhi.
Anmol Singh Jaggi, cofounder and chief executive of Gurgaon-based EV ride hailing platform BluSmart, also told ET that 99% of the cars running on the company’s platform are registered with a Delhi number plate.