Government bans entry of app-based taxis to the national capital

The Delhi government on Wednesday ordered a ban on app-based taxi services in the city. According to the new announcement, only cabs bearing registration numbers of Delhi will be allowed to ply in the city, news reports said. The decision was taken after the Supreme Court asked the Delhi government to consider banning app-based taxis in the national capital as a means to control air pollution.

The government earlier announced the vehicle rationing scheme to tackle the ongoing pollution crisis. However, the court termed the scheme as “optics”. It even questioned its efficacy and success in the past in reducing the dangerous levels of pollution in the national capital. “Has the odd-even scheme been successful (in the past)?. These are all optics,” the court said.On Wednesday, Delhi's pollution levels went back to 'severe' just a day after experiencing a slight improvement in air quality. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 395 on Tuesday, bringing a marginal improvement from the 421 recorded on Monday.