Update: Dr Ramegowda, Bangalore’s Commissioner for Transport & Road Safety, told MediaNama in a phone conversation that online cab aggregator companies have not yet submitted the proper documents (to obtain a license). He said, “I’ve had a meeting with them yesterday and today, and the companies have agreed to submit documents related to drivers and the company, but documents like police verification and security measures have not been submitted yet. Ola has submitted documents for 100 cabs, while Uber has provided 129 documents for verification. We’re processing these, let’s see…” Earlier today: Karnataka’s transport department has ordered Uber and Ola suspend operations in the state since they have not acquired licenses to run cab services, Times of India reported. The notice comes after the department had reportedly seized 60 vehicles belonging to Ola and Uber near Bangalore airport roads last week. MediaNama has written to both Ola and Uber for a statement and will update the story as soon as we hear from them. We weren't able to find a copy of the circular online. According to the report, the circular mentioned that many aggregators have not obtained licenses from the transport department and are continuing to operate un-licensed cabs. The notice has also warned companies of “strict actions” in case of non-compliance with the new rules. The New Rules Last month, the Karnataka government had banned surge pricing and mandated the requirement of a license for cab aggregators under the new Karnataka On Demand Transportation Technology Aggregator Rules, 2016. At…
