Ola defies HC order, continues its free run in City

Defying the Delhi High Court’s ruling on Tuesday upholding the ban on its services, Ola cabs continue to ply in the national capital.

The court ruled that the app-based cab service provider would have to go off the roads of the national capital until it obtains a licence under the Radio Taxi Scheme of 2006.

But Ola’s service provider executives feigned ignorance. This Deccan Herald reporter booked two Ola cabs on Wednesday evening as the company’s app showed availability of at least half-a-dozen vehicles in central Delhi area at a notice of just four minutes.

Traffic cops crack down
The Delhi Traffic Police said it continued with its crackdown on taxi aggregator’s services.
“Six hundred and fourteen cabs plying under different operators have been impounded between August 1 and August 11,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Shukla said.

Ola had challenged a July 29 interim order by a single judge of the Delhi HC which had denied its plea to revoke a ban on the taxi aggregator’s services in the national capital. The ban was imposed through an order passed by the Delhi government on January 1.

Responding to the dismissal of its plea, Ola in a statement said: “We respect the honourable divisional bench's order on commercial diesel vehicles on all aggregator platforms in New Delhi, as well as on those plying independently.”

It added, “We are working closely with the authorities to help and support thousands of driver entrepreneurs and lakhs of citizens in the state, who use the Ola app.” On Wednesday, Ola said it is experiencing “downtime” with its server due to which its customers could not avail services. Later the app-based firm said on Twitter: “Your Ola app is BACK! We apologise for the short downtime. Going somewhere? Just get on the Ola app!”