Weekend crackdown in Delhi sees 150 Ola cabs impounded
After weeks of warnings, Delhi traffic police impounded 150 cabs affiliated to Ola this weekend in a crackdown following last week&rsquo;s high court ban on use of diesel vehicles by app-based taxi services. The cabs were caught after Ola drivers responded to ride requests booked by traffic police from various locations in the city. Uber was exempt from the crackdown due to high court stay order.
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NEW DELHI: Traffic police impounded 150 cabs affiliated to Ola in a weekend crackdown following the high court's ban on use of diesel vehicles by app-based taxi services . The cabs were caught after Ola drivers responded to ride requests booked by traffic cops from various locations in the city.Sharad Aggarwal, additional commissioner (traffic), said the vehicles were impounded on charges of flouting permit conditions. A court challan was also issued to the drivers for disobeying norms mentioned in their permits. None of the vehicle prosecuted since Saturday were found to be plying on CNG Officers say these cabs were registered as tourist vehicles with all-India permits. They did not have the permit for rides within the city. Vehicles heading to Gurgaon or Noida could not be prosecuted on these grounds."We have complied with the order to ban on diesel cabs run by a particular company which has no authority to run app-based cab services in Delhi," said Aggarwal.Ola's competitor Uber was exempted from the crack down due to a high court stay order.Officials estimate that more than 8,000 diesel vehicles were plying in the NCR through app-based taxi services. For some time now, cops have been placing ride requests to book these cabs for various offences. Officials said the cab drivers had become wise to the tactic and started avoiding areas from where cops were likely to call. Most calls by the police are made from busy markets and south Delhi localities but the drivers had mostly started operating in parts of northwest and outer Delhi.Traffic policemen have also been asked to look out for vehicles having DLY numbers and check their registrations. Passengers in a cab might also be asked how they had booked the taxi. Police officers said Ola has been warned against plying these cabs and action against the company under Section 188 IPC (disobedience of orders) would be initiated if the service is not stopped.Police sources say that the seized cabs were being parked at temporary pits outside the usual traffic pits as all of them are brimming with vehicles impounded in keeping with the NGT ban on heavy vehicles. The 50 traffic police pits together have a capacity of around 9000 vehicles."We have asked the DDA to grant us space for new traffic pits, but the request is still being processed," said a police officer.