Now, Centre moves Supreme Court seeking relaxation on ban on diesel taxis in Delhi/NCR

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday moved Supreme Court seeking relaxation on banning diesel taxis from the Delhi/NCR in a phased manner.

The Centre in its plea has said that the apex court order banning diesel cabs are affecting BPOs, which use large number of taxis including diesel ones to ferry their employees.

BPOs bring dollars of foreign exchange, this may go to other countries if they are not able to operate efficiently, the Centre said.

The top court will hear the matter on Monday.

The Supreme Court last week ruled that diesel driven taxis won't be permitted to ply in Delhi after March 31. The cab owners and drivers say the ruling has affected thousands of them.

The Delhi government on Tuesday had moved the apex court requesting to ban diesel taxis from the National Capital Region in a phased manner.

The SC had on April 30 refused to extend the deadline fixed for conversion of diesel taxis into less- polluting CNG mode.

The court had on December 16 last year considered the contention of senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, that all diesel taxis be moved to CNG fuel within a reasonable time but not later than March 1, 2016.