India to take custody of bike taxis if Uber and Ola do not comply with ban

NEW DELHI: New Delhi city authorities will start impounding the bike taxis of companies such as Uber and local rival Ola if they do not cease operations in line with a court order backing a ban on them, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

India’s top court on Monday backed the city government’s argument that bike taxis violate local city laws that require them to have a licence to offer such services, while Uber argued in the Supreme Court that the ban hurts the livelihoods of its riders.

Ashish Kundra, principal secretary and commissioner for transport in the Delhi government, said the companies should not chase profits and instead focus on passenger safety.

“They have gone beyond the regulatory framework and are clearly on the wrong side of the law,” Kundera said, adding that vehicles will be taken into custody if the companies do not comply.

As of Tuesday, the two companies were still offering bike taxi services on their app.