The Delhi High Court on Thursday ruled that Ola and Uber must discontinue their surge pricing from August 22, reported The Times of India. Justice Manmohan said the cab aggregators must follow the fare cap put in place by the state's transport department. Ola told the court that it has already stopped charging surge prices to customers.
"There is an urgent need to have a seamless and uniform policy for taxi services in the country. This will also offer a level playing field to all taxi operators," the court observed, according to The Financial Express. The Centre informed the court that the transport ministry has set up a panel to recommend a policy for the entire country. The court asked the panel to file a report in the next three months.
The court also directed the panel to induct one senior official each from the information technology ministry, Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Traffic Police. The panel was asked to consult a transport expert in Niti Aayog as well.
The High Court told the Delhi transport department to work with the Union transport ministry and Delhi Police to ensure "seamless flow of data" regarding people applying for licences or permits to drive taxis. The bench also observed that the lack of such data was responsible for the state's inability to curb crimes against women passengers in cabs.
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