Indian app-based cab service provider Ola’s license has been suspended by the Bengaluru RTO (Regional Transport Office) for next six months. As per this order, App based cab aggregator Ola cannot run any vehicles including cars, autos and bikes in the Bengaluru and all other cities of Karnataka for next 6 months. The licence has been suspended for “operating bike taxis” without permission, which was already banned in the state since the last one year.
“Prior to this, a notice must be sent to the company in question. Hence. on February 15, 2019, the Transport Department had sent Ola a notice, asking the company to respond to the findings of the probe. Ola sent its reply on March 3, 2019. As the company’s reply was not satisfactory and did not provide any evidence which proved it did not violate norms, the Transport Department, as on March 18, 2019, has decided to suspend the license of Ola for a period of six months. Ola will have to submit the original copy of the license within three days of receiving a copy of this order.” the transport department said in the notice issued in Kannada on March 18.
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In February this year, Karnataka Transport Department officials had seized around 500 bikes which were operating as bike taxis for Ola and other such companies. In Karnataka, bike taxis are illegal due to lack of policy framework and is also strongly opposed by the Ola, TaxiForSure and Uber Drivers’ Association in fear of loss of business.
Karnataka’s transport department has suspended aggregator license given to M/s Ani Technologies Pvt Ltd, Ola Cabs, Bangalore for six months which means Ola Cabs will not be plying on roads across the state of Karnataka.
Related Post: Ola to Run Business ‘As Usual’ in Karnataka, Tweeted State Minister on Six Months Licence Cancelation
M/s Ani Technologies Pvt Ltd the owner of the App based cab booking company Ola has issued a statement on the suspension of license by the Karnataka Government, Ola said “evaluating the options to find an amicable solution wherein hundreds of thousands of driver-partners in the state of Karnataka can continue to work and serve the mobility needs of our citizens.”
However, there is no any visible impact on the cab booking process, users in Bangalore are still able to book the cabs using Ola mobile app whereas, the option to book Ola Bike is missing there. So, it seems like Ola has only paused the Ola Bike services because the rest of all services by Ola are still operational.
