Ola, Uber drivers in Mumbai move high court against Maharashtra’s new City Taxi Rules

Drivers working with app-based cab aggregators such as Ola and Uber approached the Bombay high court challenging the Maharashtra government’s City Taxi Rules 2017. They claim that the Act imposes terms that make it unnecessarily difficult for them to get licenses.

The petitioners’ main complaint is that the new rules do not allow app-based cabs to ply on national tourist permits. Instead, it makes it mandatory for them to apply for new local permits if they wish to continue operations within city limits. The existing permits restrict such cabs within the city of their registration.

Also, to obtain the local permits, the petitioners claimed, they would have to shell out Rs25,000 for vehicles with engine capacity below 1400 cc and Rs2.6 lakh for those with 1400 cc capacity. This is “more than 10 times of what the drivers of black and yellow taxis have to pay” for their permits.

A bench led by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur has directed the petitioners to serve notices to the state government and to cab aggregators Uber and Ola.

It also questioned why the companies not approach court challenging the new rules? “Will the new rules not cause them any losses?” Justice Chellur asked.

The HC is likely to hear the matter next on June 14.