Delhi govt bans entry of app-based cabs registered in other states amid severe air quality

As air quality worsens in Delhi, the AAP government banned entry of non-Delhi registered commercial cabs booked through Ola, Uber, other taxi aggregator apps into the national capital. 

Only cabs registered in Delhi will be allowed to ply in the national capital. Detailed order will be issued on implementation of this order, said Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday.

Amid a spike in pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that there are a huge number of taxis or cabs plying on Delhi roads, with only one passenger each.

Noting that many such taxis have registrations in different states, the apex court asked the Delhi government to consider allowing only cabs that are registered in the national capital.

On Tuesday, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said polluting vehicles were entering the city freely despite restrictions under GRAP stage IV being in place in view of hazardous air quality and directed officials to ensure proper checking at the borders.

Rai on Wednesday said the Delhi government will implement the odd-even car rationing scheme after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness.

The apex court on Tuesday questioned the effectiveness of the scheme, aimed at curbing vehicular pollution, and referred to it as “all optics.”   Amid worsening air quality in the national capital, Rai had earlier announced the flagship scheme, under which cars are allowed to operate on alternate days based on their odd or even number plates, would be enforced between November 13 and November 20.

Addressing a press conference, Rai said the city government will submit two major studies conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of the scheme for the perusal of the Supreme Court.

“A call will be taken to implement the odd-even scheme only after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness and issues an order,” the minister said.

In view of air pollution in the national capital, the December winter break of all schools has been rescheduled and it will be now from November 9 to November 18, a circular of the Delhi Directorate of Education stated on Wednesday.

Earlier, due to bad air quality, holidays were announced from November 3 to November 10.  “In the wake of implementation of GRAP-IV measures due to Severe Air Quality prevailing in Delhi and seeing that no respite from such adverse weather conditions in near future is predicted by the IMO, the Winter Break for the session 2023-24 is ordered to be preponed so that schools can be totally closed and both children and teachers can stay at home,” the circular stated.

The air quality in Delhi and its suburbs dropped to the severe category again on Wednesday morning, with smoke from post-harvest paddy straw burning in neighbouring states accounting for one-third of the air pollution in the national capital.

The city’s air quality index stood at 421, worsening from 395 at 4 pm on Tuesday.

Despite a marginal dip, the concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and triggering health problems, exceeded the government-prescribed safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by seven to eight times in the capital.

It was 30 to 40 times the healthy limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Several cities across the Indo-Gangetic plains reported hazardous air quality. Neighbouring Ghaziabad (382), Gurugram (370), Noida (348), Greater Noida (474), and Faridabad (396) also reported hazardous air quality.

With inputs from India Today and PTI