Delhi High Court has warned Ola cabs that the court may continue with the order of Delhi Government to ban it as it is “taking the court for a ride” and “flouting all laws”. The High Court also scolded Ola cabs for continuing their operations without applying for fresh licenses; the court was also against the use of Diesel based vehicles for commercial purposes as per the orders of Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal. Justice Manmohan was not happy with the request of Advocate Khalid Arshad, Ola’s Lawyer, for some more time to present his case on the application for interim stay.
When the bench was told that in January, the government had given a hearing to radio cab services, the Bench took a note that Ola cab continued operations even after Delhi government ban, so the bench asked “How are you still operating after the (government’s) January 1 order? Where is the stay on that order?”
When Advocate Khalid argued that Ola cabs doesn’t come under the radio cabs, the bench got irritated and said “I was initially thinking that I shouldn’t ban you, but if you insist on plying without (following) rules then I will have to ban you… you have gone haywire. You are not agreeing to any conditions… your clients are taking the court for a ride. This is not an Ola cab, this is the court. We are trying to find a pragmatic solution and you’ve pushed me into a corner where I will be forced to uphold a complete ban.”
On the issue of Diesel based commercial vehicles, court maintained “We will have to run on clean fuel. Diesel is not clean fuel. We are the most polluted city in the world. Posterity will not spare us, future generations will not spare us at all.”
