Stop web-based taxi services: MHA to states

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday said he has asked state governments and union territories to ban all web-based radio taxis following one such taxi’s driver raping a woman passenger in the cab in the national capital.

Rajnath Singh’s announcement came as opposition leader Anand Sharma pointed out that there is a conflict in the government as Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has spoken against the ban on Uber taxi services.

Rajnath Singh also said that Delhi Police are examining “legal liability of Uber taxi services” in the case.

“The ministry of home affairs has advised the state government and union territories to ensure that the operations of web-based taxi services are stopped and such service providers which are not licensed with the state governments or union territory administration are prohibited to operate till they get registered themselves with the administration,” Rajnath Singh said, making a statement in the upper house.

Congress leader Anand Sharma, however, questioned how Gadkari said shutting the services is not a solution.

“Government must clarify... your cabinet colleague has criticised the ban on Uber,” said Sharma, indicating towards Gadkari.

Gadkari, talking to reporters in parliament complex Tuesday, said banning Uber, an international taxi-booking service, does not make sense, and added that modern services like these NEW DELHI: A case of cheating and violating lawful orders was Tuesday lodged against online cab booking company Uber four days after one of its drivers allegedly raped a woman, police said. The accused driver has also been booked for forgery.

“A case under Sections 420 (cheating) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Sarai Rohilla police station in north Delhi Tuesday morning,” DCP Madhur Verma said.

IANS

should be encouraged and if there is some lacuna, it should be rectified.

“It doesn’t make sense to ban services. Tomorrow, if something happens on a bus, we can’t ban that. Similarly, if something of this sort happens on a plane, that too cannot be banned,” Gadkari told reporters here.

“Modern concepts like these are being implemented in countries like the UK, the US and others, and we too must encourage it,” the transport minister said on being asked whether these application-based services should be banned in the country.