Bengaluru: Uber, Ola defy government order, cabs impounded

Chennai is also considering a ban on shared rides following in the footsteps of Karnataka government.

Bengaluru, Feb: 4 Defying Karnataka government's order against extending shared cabs services proved costly for cab aggregator companies Uber and Ola on Friday. Officials of the transport department impounded over 30 cabs attached to the aggregators for plying 'illegally'. Representatives of the companies later met officials of the transport department and requested for an extension on deadline. In a relief, the government agreed to extend them the grace period.

"We did seize some cabs today since they were offering shared can services illegally. The companies then requested for 15 days Grace time and we have agreed to give them that much time. Safety is our priority but they claim that other states have allowed pooling. We are not opposed to car pooling, we only as to ensure that it is within the legal framework," said Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

Uber and Ola have submitted a plea requesting permission to order shared can service and it is currently under consideration, the minister told OneIndia. The government is in the process of verifying how other states are allowing this service and how transport directives can be changed to suit the aggregators as well as safety of passengers.

Even as they have filed for permission to extend shared services, Old and Uber have taken to social media and online platforms to garner support for pooling and cab sharing. Meanwhile, reports of Chennai considering a ban on shared rides also emerged following in the footsteps of Karnataka government.

OneIndia News