Uber, Ola can operate in certain districts with a single passenger: MHA
However, the notification doesn't explicitly state whether two-wheeler taxis and shared vehicles operated by the like of Bounce, Yulu, and VOGO would be allowed 4 May onwardsMeanwhile, in green zones public transport buses can operate at 50% capacity
Bengaluru: Commercial taxis and cab aggregators including Ola and Uber will be allowed to function from May 4 in some districts, while shared cabs continue to remain suspended, according to an official notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday.
However, the notification doesn't explicitly state whether two-wheeler taxis and shared vehicles operated by the like of Bounce, Yulu, and VOGO would be allowed May 4 onwards.
The MHA said that districts will be split into three zones--Red, Orange, and Green--depending on the spread of covid-19 in each district. Red and Yellow zones will be treated as strict containment zones with very few relaxations on economic and commercial activities.
While green zones--districts with no confirmed cased of covid-19 in the last 21 days--will have more relaxations, including permission to operate public transport buses at 50% capacity.
In red zones, the MHA has strictly banned commercial taxis and cab aggregators from plying on the roads. However, in red zones, the movement of private vehicles is allowed only for permitted activities, with a maximum of 2 persons (besides the driver) in four-wheeler vehicles, and with no pillion rider in the case of two-wheelers.
The MHA notification also allowed movement of private four-wheelers (excluding cabs) in orange and green zones but only with two passengers excluding the driver. Two-wheelers in orange and green zones, however, can operate with an extra pillion rider.
"In the Green Zones, all activities are permitted except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. However, buses can operate with up to 50% seating capacity and bus depots can operate with up to 50% capacity," the MHA notification said.
In the containment areas (orange and red zones), inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be allowed for permitted activities only, the MHA notification added. The MHA added that interstate movement will be allowed for some purposes such as movement of essential and medical goods explicitly permitted by the ministry.
Restriction on inter-state movement of vehicles may also apply to cab aggregators including Ola and Uber that operate inter-city cabs in the country, as well as on vehicle rental platforms such as Zoomcar, Drivezy, and Revv.
Cab hailing services of major service providers including Ola and Uber had been suspended since 22 March, after the Indian government imposed a nation-wide lockdown that has been extended till May 2nd.
In mid-April, Uber and Ola began offering rides to emergency locations such as hospitals and pharmacies for users in certain cities. In April, Uber and Ola tied-up with different state administrations to ferry non-covid-19 emergency supplies to hospitals amid lockdown. Separately, Uber is also providing cab-hailing services for frontline healthcare providers.
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