Reiterating the government's stance earlier on Tuesday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Rajya Sabha that Uber cab service has been banned in the NCT of Delhi, and that all states and Union Territories have been advised to ban such online cab-booking services.
Earlier, an FIR was filed against the taxi service provider on Tuesday for cheating and violating government order, even as Congress accused BJP of double standards on the issue.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had pressed for regulations to be improved instead of banning cab services, reports NDTV.
"It doesn't make sense to ban services, tomorrow if something happens in a bus we can't ban that, the system needs to be changed, he said, adding that the system of giving drivers licence is faulty and a new digitalised system will be designed where everyone's track record can be viewed," Gadkari said.
In fact, according to latest reports, the transport department is to connect the GPS data of cab services to its server.
Earlier in the day, following a nationwide outcry against cab provider Uber after the rape of a 27-year-old woman executive on Friday, the Mumbai Police decided to undertake a massive census of all cabs.
The announcement was made on Tuesday morning by Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria, who also said that a database of records would be maintained, and special branches as well as police stations would be involved in the process.
However, there would be no ban on Uber and other app-based cabs in Mumbai, said Maria.
He also added that all drivers would be required to get police verification in order to operate in the city.
Meanwhile, the government has issued an advisory to the states on unregistered cabs, telling them to ban unlicenced web-based cabs. The public has also been advised not to hire online taxi services till they are registered.
There was also an uproar in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over the Uber cab rape incident.
After banning the services of Uber from the roads of the national capital, the Delhi government went a step further and slapped a case of cheating under Section 420 of the IPC on the cab service provider on Monday, reports The Indian Express.
The Delhi government issued an order which said:
"Public is hereby informed that only Easy Cab, Meru Cab, Mega Cab, Chanson Cab, Yo Cab and Air Cab are licenced with the Transport Department to provide Radio Taxi services in the city. All other cab services which use web-based technology, which are not recognised, are prohibited from providing such services in the NCT of Delhi till they get permission from the Transport Department."
