The Busy Brains
10 Jun 2023
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to provide its stance on the plea filed by the Delhi government challenging a high court order that stayed a notice issued to bike-taxi aggregators Rapido and Uber. Learn about the ongoing legal battle and the court's direction for the views of the Union of India to be considered. Stay updated on the latest developments.
The Supreme Court has taken note of the plea filed by the Delhi government, which challenges a high court order that suspended a notice issued to bike-taxi aggregators Rapido and Uber. In response, the apex court has requested the Centre to present its stance on the matter.
The high court order allowed Rapido and Uber to continue their operations until the final policy regarding their functioning is officially announced. Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal, constituting a vacation bench, directed the petition copies to be served to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The court highlighted the importance of considering the views of the Union of India and scheduled the next hearing for Monday.
During the hearing, senior advocate Manish Vashisht, representing the Delhi government, argued that the high court's decision to suspend the government's notice effectively granted relief to Rapido.
On May 26, the high court issued a notice to the Delhi government in response to Rapido's plea, which challenged the law excluding two-wheelers from being registered as transport vehicles. The high court ordered that no coercive action should be taken against the bike-taxi aggregator until the final policy is implemented. It also specified that Rapido's plea would be heard on August 22 as part of the pleading process.
Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, the operator of Rapido, filed a petition with the high court, contending that the Delhi government's order to immediately cease the operation of non-transport two-wheelers lacked a reasonable basis for such action.
Earlier this year, the government issued a public notice cautioning bike taxis against operating in Delhi and warned that aggregators could face fines of up to Rs 1 lakh for violations.
Stay informed about the ongoing legal battle as the Supreme Court awaits the Centre's response and continues to evaluate the Delhi government's plea against the high court order regarding Rapido and Uber.