Diesel cabs ply in Gurgaon as transport dept awaits copy of SC order - Hindustan Times
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Diesel cabs ply in Gurgaon as transport dept awaits copy of SC order

Hindustan Times | By, Gurgaon
May 04, 2016 12:40 PM IST

The Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Gurgaon, is unclear about implementation of the Supreme Court order banning diesel cabs in the national capital region.

The Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Gurgaon, is unclear about implementation of the Supreme Court order banning diesel cabs in the national capital region. The authority officials claim they have not received the Apex court’s order and are unsure about the sections under which action can be initiated against violators.

The cab drivers, without connecting to the cab aggregators, were ferrying commuters and dropping them within the city limits.(Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
The cab drivers, without connecting to the cab aggregators, were ferrying commuters and dropping them within the city limits.(Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

There are about 14,000 cabs registered under the Road Transport Authority of which nearly 1,000 are running on CNG.

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Also read: Diesel cabs have a free run in Gurgaon

The cab drivers, without connecting to the cab aggregators, were ferrying commuters and dropping them within the city limits. The drivers said strict vigilance is being kept in Delhi, where diesel vehicles are being impounded. However, Gurgaon was fairly safe for them to drive around.

“I am charging commuters Rs. 50 less than the normal fare. I drive with a private aggregator but did not attach my vehicle with them. I made around 20 trips in Gurgaon,” said Ram Prasad Singh, a cab driver.

Also read: Short of cabs, Gurgaon firms tell employees to work from home

Meanwhile, transporters operating diesel cabs are keeping their fingers crossed and waiting for a review petition to be filed in the Supreme Court.

“We have diesel cabs at the hotel, but not using them since Sunday. Have you started impounding cabs or issuing challans?” a hotelier asked a senior Gurgaon RTA official, who had no satisfactory reply .

“An official letter from the Haryana transport commissioner citing the court order is awaited before initiating action against diesel cabs. We want to be sure about the contents of the order,” the official said.

“There is no provision in the existing Motor Vehicle Act to take action against vehicles on the basis of fuel category. We will discuss the matter with seniors and decide the future course of action,” the officer said.

Also read: Drivers’ protest cripples Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway traffic

The Delhi traffic police, however, impounded diesel cabs invoking clause 66 (1)/192 of the MV Act dealing with violation of permit.

Gurgaon being home to a large number of corporate firms, there is a huge demand for cabs.

“The order is applicable to cabs operating in Delhi and NCR but cabs operating on all India tourist permit do not come under it. There is some confusion and we need it to be cleared,” Madan Mohan, managing director of Deneb & Pollux Tours and Travel Private Limited, said.

Mohan said National Association of Software and Services Companies and the Delhi government are expected to file review petitions in the matter.

All Haryana Transporters Association president Devender Pradhan said the Delhi authorities are putting undue pressure on cab operators by impounding vehicles. He said the transporters met Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai and other transport officials on Tuesday to apprise them of the plight of cab operators. “The livelihood of a large number of people depend on these cabs,” he said.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Rashpal Singh covers socio-economic and development issues in Gurgaon and adjoining districts. A journalist for over a decade with stints in Shimla, Chandigarh and Jaipur, he also writes on transport, local administration and the district BJP.

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