HC asks state to submit steps taken to license aggregator apps

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the State government to file an affidavit disclosing the steps taken to implement the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020 throughout Maharashtra.

A cab aggregator app user filed a public interest litigation (PIL) after he was assaulted by a driver of the cab he had booked online. Citing nearly 80 instances of drivers from aggregators causing harm to passengers, the petition stated all aggregators must be accountable for the actions of the drivers on their platforms.

It added that the provisions regarding passenger’s safety in the 2020 guidelines notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are beneficial for aggrieved passengers. However, the guidelines do not hold the aggregator responsible for the acts of their drivers, it added.

Earlier in Savina Castro v/s Union of India, a PIL was filed in 2022 for charging passengers excess fares. It sought enforcement of certain sections of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and the 2020 guidelines pertaining to aggregators. The high court then directed the regional transport offices (RTO) to act as licensing authority for the aggregators. The current PIL states that no steps were taken in that direction. In response to this, the court has asked the state to detail the steps taken to implement the licensing of aggregator apps by RTOs.