JOIN USMaha: Uber, Ola apply for aggregator licence
Currently, the government cannot efficiently take action in case of violations by these operators and a licence could change that situation. In Maharashtra, app-based taxis and autos have been operational since 2014. Acting on a directive of the Supreme Court, the ride-hailing service firms have applied for aggregator licences at Mumbai’s Tardeo RTO, which has jurisdiction over the entire island city, the official said.
Bharat Kalaskar, regional transport officer from Tardeo RTO, told PTI that they received applications from Ola and Uber for aggregator licences 3-4 days ago. The applications are under scrutiny and will be subsequently put up to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) for a final decision about granting the licence, he said.
In April 2022, MMRTA had granted provisional aggregator licences to ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (Ola), Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd, Meru Mobility Tech Pvt Ltd, and Mahindra Logistics Ltd as per the Centre’s Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines-2020.
Weeks ago, the Bombay High Court had directed all such aggregators to apply for a valid licence by March 16, 2022, if they wished to continue operations, observing that app-based taxi firms operating in Maharashtra without valid licences was an instance of “complete lawlessness”. Last month, the apex court had directed app-based taxi aggregators to apply for a licence by March 6 if they wanted to continue their operations in Maharashtra.
Though Ola did not respond to PTI’s queries regarding the application, an Uber spokesperson confirmed submission at the RTO. “Uber has applied well within the deadline set by the apex court,” said the spokesperson.