HC seeks govt response on more taxi, auto stands

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thusday sought response of the AAP government and the traffic police on an NGO’S plea alleging that there were not sufficient number of stands in the city for taxis and autorickshaws and those available have been “illegally grabbed” by certain cartels and drivers.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar, while issuing notice to the Delhi government and the traffic police, directed them to strictly abide by the conditions for allotment of stands for taxis and autorickshaws in the national capital.

With this direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on October 16.

NGO Nyayabhoomi, in its plea, has sought directions to the government to put in place adequate number of autorickshaw and taxi stands, technically known as cab-ranks, claiming that the number of such stands is much below the actual need.

It has contended that the few number of cab ranks was forcing drivers to create unauthorised stands which pose a risk to public safety and also lead to traffic congestion.

The petition has also alleged that the Delhi Government and the Traffic Police are “misinterpreting the inadequate provisions of law in constructing cab-ranks and are failing to implement their own policies”.

It claimed that notified general taxi stands have been illegally grabbed by certain cartels and groups of drivers who do not let other taxi drivers use them.

The NGO has also contended that the notified taxi stands are running in violation of the government policy and court orders that prohibit them from erecting any structure or getting any water, electricity or telephone connections

The plea, moved through the NGO’S Secretary Rakesh Agarwal, has said that cab-ranks for autos and taxis at the airport, railway stations and bus stations “have been cartelised by black and yellow taxis and autorickshaws with the active help from the Delhi Traffic police”.