Diesel cab ban: Supreme Court to hear the matter on May 5

Arvind Kejriwal-eld Delhi Government today moved the Supreme Court (SC) requesting that the remove of diesel cabs from National Capital Region (NCR) must be done in a phased manner. The Government said that the SC's order has led to law and order problems as taxi-owners have resorted to road blockades causing massive traffic jams. 

The SC agreed to hear the petition and asked the Delhi Goverment to submit a specific plan by 4 pm on Tuesday itself. Delhi govt asked the SC for 2 days to hold consultation on gradual phase out of diesel taxis. The SC has decided to hear on May 5.

The Delhi Government is likely to submit a plan to phase out diesel taxis and converting all taxis into CNG vehicles. 

Earlier in the day, BJP members in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday made a strong pitch for Centre's intervention in Supreme Court in the wake of its "diktat" of ban on diesel taxis in Delhi hitting 27,000 families, saying the Kejriwal government has remained "insensitive" to the problem.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Ramesh Bidhuri said the "diktat" by the Supreme Court has come as a bolt from the blue for the taxi operators, some of whom have bought the vehicles only a month ago.

He said the agitated taxi operators have been forced to come out on the street, with the Delhi government implementing the Odd Even scheme being "insensitive" to their problems.

He wondered how could the Delhi Chief Minister behave in such a manner despite being an IIT graduate as an IIT study has come to the conclusion that vehicular pollution was only the fifth factor for the state of affairs in Delhi.

He said pollution caused by the thermal power units and the brick kilns and also waste burning was much more than vehicular pollution. He was supported by several members of the ruling party with thumping of desks.

The Supreme Court had last week refused to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for conversion of diesel cabs into less-polluting CNG mode for plying on city roads, sending off-road thousands of diesel taxis, including those run by aggregators like OLA and Uber.

Hundreds of taxi drivers have been protesting the ban by blocking the National Highway and arterial roads here.

(With agency inputs)