Supreme Court to hear government's diesel cabs phase out proposal on May 10

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The diesel-run cab owners are going to sit with bated breath till Monday, when the Supreme Court hears the government's proposal that diesel cab owners should be allowed to run on Delhi-NCR roads till their permit expires. The permits for cabs are issued for five years. 

As the diesel-run cab owners went on blocking roads, causing traffic jams and creating trouble for commuters and BPO industry, the Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a concrete and time-bound proposal from Delhi government.

The Delhi government, along with the Centre and Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) came together on Wednesday and proposed that it would allow renewing of the diesel-run cab's permit only if it switches over to using green fuel like CNG.

The Amicus curiae Aparajita Singhhad proposed the same to the bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice R Banumathi on Thursday .

The Supreme Court, on April 30 had refused to extend the deadline given to diesel-run cabs to switch over to cleaner fuel, and banned the cabs from plying on the Delhi-NCR roads from May 1.

There are around 55,000 diesel-run taxis with all-India permit.