Centre to issue advisory on app-based cab services

Stating that the decision to ban app-based taxi hailing services like Ola and Uber rest with the state governments, the centre on Saturday said it will soon issue an advisory for regulating such services. At present, state governments are empowered to prescribe conditions for the grant of license for public service vehicles, under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act. “We are working on that (advisory), it will be completed in the next three weeks which will be circulated to the states,” a senior Road Ministry official said. An advisory will be issued to the states on the mobile app-based taxi hailing services, the official added. Asked if the centre is planning to ban such services, the official said, “The decision to ban or not to ban lies with the states.” In December, last year, the government had banned all unregistered web-based taxi companies after a driver of Uber was accused of rape.