Uber’s application for licence denied over ‘deficiencies’

In its deficiency memo, the Transport department wrote back to Uber, saying, “Incorporation of the company does not include the mandate to provide public transport service. The same should be included in the incorporation certificate of the company.”

Sources said Uber has not provided an affidavit ensuring compliance of the “Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the IT Act, 2000, amended from time to time and provision of Radio Taxi Rules 2006 as amended”.

The Transport department had also mandated a certificate from the company for parking of its radio taxis, which, sources said, Uber has not provided. Other deficiencies included lack of details on telephone numbers, email addresses, address proof of the registered office in Delhi, details of the call centre arrangement and its feedback process and management.

The cab service was banned by the Delhi government after a 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by an Uber driver in a taxi on December 5.

All unregistered internet-based taxi services, except the five that were registered, were banned along with Uber.

The government then modified the Radio Taxi Scheme, 2006, classifying web-based taxi aggregators under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, for the first time. The move also legalised Uber-like operations, wherein an aggregator need not directly own a vehicle, but acts as a link between vehicle operators and commuters.

A day after they applied for a fresh licence last week, Uber sent out emails to its customers in Delhi, claiming, “We’re back, to serve you and get you moving once again!”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Uber had said: “In December, as per the request of Delhi’s Transport department, we had taken the step of shutting down operations. They had ordered all web-based applications be shut down pending grant of a radio-taxi licence, and Uber Delhi, accordingly, complied with the request. Today, each of the major transportation apps including Uber have taxi licence applications in process. Each of the major transportation apps, including Uber, are also currently running in Delhi.”

Samples from cab match victim, accused: Forensic expert

New Delhi: The forensic expert working on the Uber rape case told the special fast-track court on Wednesday that samples taken from the Uber cab, in which the alleged rape took place, had matched the DNA profiling of the accused and the woman.

Appearing as a prosecution witness, senior scientific officer of CBI’s Central Forensic Lab Dr B K Mahapatra said the DNA profile generated from blood stains recovered from the car was a match to the victim.

He deposed that he had inspected the Swift Dzire in which the alleged incident had taken place on the night of December 5, 2014, and lifted samples for DNA tests. The expert’s statement was not completed and his cross-examination by the defence counsel will continue on Thursday.

The court also examined the statements made by two Uttar Pradesh Police officers. Sub Inspector Surendra Singh of Police Station Highway, Mathura, deposed that on December 6, 2014, Delhi Police officers went to Mathura to recover the vehicle used in the alleged crime. He said the car was recovered from Yadav’s house in Mathura. The other officer examined was UP Police constable Puspender Singh.     ens