‘Decision on app-based autorickshaw services by November 25’: Karnataka government to HC

The application-based autorickshaw service had not obtained a licence for aggregating autorickshaws, so their services were halted.

Representational picture of Autorickshaw

Bengaluru: The state government informed the Karnataka High Court on Monday that a decision on the online app-based autorickshaw hailing services will be made by November 25. The government stated that the service providers' petitions have been considered and that a decision is pending. The transport department recently ordered a halt to auto-hailing services because they were not covered by the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregator Rules in 2016. According to the department, the licences were only for cab-hailing services. The service providers had approached the High Court, which granted them permission to continue providing services until the government made a decision on licences to be issued after consulting with all stakeholders.

Karnataka HC has adjourned this hearing 

The case is being heard by Justice C M Poonacha's bench. The government also asked the court not to issue orders regarding the rate increases sought by service providers until the authorities made a decision. The court was told that the rate would be decided by November 25. After recording the submissions, the HC adjourned the hearing until November 28. ANI Technologies Private Limited and Uber India Systems Private Limited had filed a court challenge to the transport department's decision to halt autorickshaw-hailing services.

This Application was violating rules 

On October 6, the authorities after a meeting issued an order stating autorickshaw and cab services available under the online apps violated the KODTTA rules and licence. It was held that the 'taxi' service was only for cars and not autorickshaws. The government had claimed before the court that app-based aggregators were charging more than the rates fixed by the authorities by levying surcharge. They had not obtained a licence for aggregating autorickshaws and therefore their services have been stopped.

(With PTI inputs)