Supreme Court Reinstates Ban on Bike Taxis in Delhi

New Delhi; The Supreme Court issued a stay on Monday, overturning the High Court’s previous order that had allowed bike-taxi aggregators Rapido and Uber to operate in the capital city.

The Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to refrain from taking any coercive measures against the aggregators until a new policy is formulated. Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal, presiding over the vacation bench, granted Rapido and Uber the freedom to urgently request a hearing of their plea by the Delhi High Court.

In addition to staying the High Court’s May 26 order, the bench also noted that the Delhi government counsel confirmed the final policy would be notified before the end of July. The Supreme Court heard two separate petitions from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, challenging the High Court’s order and its directive to withhold coercive action against the bike-taxi aggregators until the final policy is in place. Last week, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the Central government regarding both petitions filed by the Delhi government.

In May, the Delhi government approved the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2023, aiming to regulate cab aggregators and delivery service providers in the national capital. This policy includes several key features such as the mandatory inclusion of panic buttons in taxis, integration with the emergency number ‘112’, and a phased transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

The Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2023 applies to individuals or entities operating, on-boarding, or managing a fleet of motor vehicles through digital or electronic means, or any other method, to transport passengers or connect drivers for product deliveries, couriers, packages, or parcels with sellers, e-commerce entities, or consignors.