HC seeks NGO response on plea by Ola & Uber

New Delhi, Aug. 20: The Delhi high court on Monday sought response of an NGO on the pleas of app- based taxi service providers Ola and Uber seeking quashing of summons for allegedly operating taxis without licence and charging excess fare from passengers.

The high court also said its interim order staying the proceedings in a criminal complaint lodged before a trial court against the two service providers shall continue till further orders.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked NGO Nyaya Bhoomi, on whose plea the trial court had summoned the cab providers under various provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, to file its reply by September 10, when the matter is listed for consideration of pleas of the service providers on September 10.

The NGO had lodged the complaint against ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd., which runs Ola, Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd. and Serendipity Infolabs Pvt Ltd., which runs Taxi For Sure.

The trial court had on July 31 last year summoned them and directed their authorised representatives to appear before it. During the hearing, advocate Sumit Modi, appearing for the NGO, sought time to file the response and said at least the proceedings in the case before the trial court be allowed to continue. In its complaint, the NGO has sought recovery of ` 91,000 crore from the two app- based taxi service providers for allegedly overcharging passengers. Both the companies, in their pleas have contended that the complaint against them was at the behest of a competitor.