EPCA Meets Transport Department, App-Based Taxi Service Officials

A day before the Supreme Court takes up the matter, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) met Transport department officials of NCR states and representatives of app-based cab services like Ola who have been asked to switch to CNG by March 31.

EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal said officials of the app-based companies were categorically informed during the meeting, which was "urgently" convened, that they will have to abide by the SC order .

"Uber did not have any representation in the meeting.

They said that they got the information about the meeting late. While that is okay, there is no way any company can wriggle out of the SC directives," Lal said.

Deep Singh, Business Head North at Ola, said that the company will abide by the SC order and have already submitted a letter to EPCA to confirm the same. The company has over 26,000 CNG cars in its Delhi fleet currently.

Sunita Narain of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), who is a member of EPCA, said that only CNG cabs of app-based companies will ply in the NCR region from April 1 while those using Delhi as a transit will not be allowed to take or off-load passengers.

The Supreme Court in January had extended the deadline for all taxis in the National Capital Region to convert to CNG mode from March 1 to March 31 and directed the Centre to set up 104 gas stations in ten districts of NCR.