SHC says no to any crackdown against online taxi services

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) has urged for the regulation of online taxi services and remarked that it does not want any crackdown against it, ARY News reported.

SHC heard a petition regarding the online taxi services on Tuesday.

In proceeding, the judge has ordered the government and the taxi companies to resolve their matters by 5th March, 2017. The bench urged the two parties to settle the matter according to the law.

The counsel representing the online taxi companies, in his arguments, said that their clients have been in touch with the officials of the provincial transport department and they expect that the matter will be resolved soon.

The transport department lawyer claimed in the hearing that the officials of the ride-hailing companies have not contacted with the concerned department as yet.

There were media reports that Sindh government authorities were planning stern action against the ride-hailing services Uber and Careem operating in Karachi. The transport department had demanded the companies, which have provided a better option of transport to the citizens, that the private vehicles being used in rides should be registered as taxis and should also obtain their route permits.

The provincial minister for transport Nasir Shah had said that the government seeks to bring Uber and Careem under the legal framework. He also was of the view that all vehicles of the two companies should be registered with the government.