K’taka’s Transport Dept asks Ola to stop service in State due to licence expiry

Bengaluru: The Transport Department of the State has issued a notice to Ola to stop all its services in the State as their licence to operate taxis has expired.

According to officials in the Department, Ola was granted the licence under the ‘Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregator Rules 2016’ which they say has lapsed and has not been renewed by the company.

Ola has reportedly stated that as per the new notification issued by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways their licences are valid until September 2021 adding that they will be approaching the authorities to seek renewal of their licence.

The issue has, however, affected Ola cab drivers as they have been fined for providing services while attached to the aggregator.

Department officials have stated that taxis can provide services individually but they will be penalised for driving attached with Ola as it is illegal to drive for a company with a lapsed licence.