Delhi Government Plans to Ban Entry of App-based Cabs Like Ola, Uber

Published On: 9 November 2023
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Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated that the transport department has received orders from the Supreme Court to ban app-based taxis in the capital city.

The Delhi government may temporarily ban app-based taxis from entering the capital city. Delhi is currently facing a serious pollution issue, with air quality categorized as 'severe'. To curb the pollution levels, the Delhi government has decided to ban app-based taxis, such as Uber and Ola, that are registered in other states, from entering Delhi. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated that the transport department has received orders from the Supreme Court to ban app-based taxis in the capital city. Only cabs registered in Delhi will be allowed to ply on the Delhi roads. Commuters who travel between Gurgaon and Noida by cab will only be allowed to pass through the capital city if the cab is registered in Delhi.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is getting worse in Delhi with each passing day. People living in the capital city are inhaling extremely toxic air. The shared blame for the increased pollution levels has been pinned on vehicular emissions. From November 13, the Delhi government will implement the Odd-Even traffic management system for 10 days. The government has not shared any detailed order with the officials to confirm whether the entry of app-based taxis like Ola and Uber will be banned this weekend or whether it will come into effect with the initiation of the Odd-Even rule.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai informed the reporters on this issue. He stated that “the court has said that taxis registered outside Delhi should be banned from entering Delhi. Directions have been issued to the transport department to ban app-based taxis from outside Delhi from entering the city."

He further added that “we have asked the transport department to examine how many such vehicles are there. Under the GRAP guidelines, BS-III and BS-IV diesel vehicles are already banned, and the transport department has been asked to examine how many BS-VI diesel vehicles are there, if they are banned, and (if) odd-even is implemented, what will be its impact."

If the government finally decides to restrict the entry and movement of cabs in Delhi, then the daily commuters will face difficulty while traveling as the odd-even rule will also be in effect from November 13. Many people travel in app-based cabs daily, and banning these cabs from Delhi roads will result in more private vehicles being used. Also, the crowd will increase in other mass transit options like the Delhi Metro and DTC bus fleet.

Uber has made a statement on this issue, saying that it is already following all the pollution protocols as all the cars on its platform in the capital city are either electric or CNG, and shared mobility aids in allowing more people to commute in fewer cars.