SC asks Centre to consider law to regulate Ola, Uber

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Central government to consider bringing in a law to regulate mobile app-based taxi service providers like Ola and Uber to ensure safety and security of women passengers.

A Bench headed by Justice S A Bobde also asked petitioner Nipun Saxena to make representation before the Ministry of Transport and suggest laws on regulating the app-based aggregator services.

The court order came when it was informed by the petitioner that there were no laws to regulate these service providers. The petitioner also told the court that the central government had framed guidelines and standard operating procedures on running of a crisis centre but the state governments were not complying.

Thereafter, the court called for a one-stop crisis centre in each district to deal with sexual offence cases against women and directed them to comply with the guidelines and standard operating procedures framed by Centre.

A crisis centre is a community-based organization which works to help victims of sexual offence by providing counselling and other facilities. Nipun Saxena filed the petition in the aftermath of the December 2012 Delhi gangrape.