SC asks Centre to consider regulating cab aggregators
NEWDELHI:THE Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to consider a representation seeking the framing of laws to govern and regulate app-based cab services such as Ola and Uber so as to make the companies accountable when it comes to the safety of women passengers.
A bench led by Justice SA Bobde asked advocate Nipun Saxena to give his representation to the Centre in this regard. Saxena filed a PIL in the aftermath of the December 16 gangrape of a medical student in a moving bus asking for the top court’s intervention to strengthen the criminal justice process and set up one-stop crisis centres for rape survivors.
One of the prayers made by Saxena was to regulate appbased taxi services. During the hearing, senior advocate Indira Jaising said the services required to be regulated through a legal framework as they are functioning in a vacuum.
Jaising advocated the need for a legal mechanism because several “untoward incidents” are being reported in the taxis. She said the services are not governed under the Motor Vehicles Act and the drivers of the cabs are not accountable to any
THE CENTRAL GOVT COUNSEL INFORMED THE BENCH THAT THE ISSUE CAN BE SOLVED ONLY IF THERE IS AN AMENDMENT OF LAWS
agency or authority. “Given that these services are claiming to be application-based intermediaries, they are not even governed by the Information Technology Act. They say they fall under internet platforms, they are intermediaries but then even the IT Act does not cover such operations,” Jaising submitted.
The counsel for the central government informed the bench that the issue can only be resolved if there is an amendment of the laws. At this Justice Bobde asked the lawyer: “And who can do that.” The court then went on to ask Saxena to give a representation to the government with the suggestion to regulate the taxi services so that safety of women passengers can be ensured. A road and surface transport ministry official declined comment.