Vehicles without recalibrated meters to be taken off roads

It said the 1,274 taxis and 12,115 autorickshaws that had not switched to electronic meters may not be allowed to ply owing to reasons such non-renewal of permits, seizure by financiers or simply because the vehicles are beyond economical repair.

HC was hearing a PIL by Mumbai Grahak Panchayat.

Advocate general D J Khambata told the court vehicles seized by financiers could approach the state government for recalibration of meters.

Earlier, HC had questioned the rationale behind constitution of a one-man committee of retired bureaucrat P M A Hakim and suggested the committee should include experts from the fields of transport and finance.

Khambata told the court suggestions of the petitioners and taxi and autorickshaw unions were considered at a meeting in December.

He said a circular issued by the government required taxis and autorickshaws to be taken for inspection to see if money set aside for maintenance was used.

A division bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and A A Sayed, however, said, "How do you decide what is good and bad condition?"

Mumbai Grahak Panchayat lawyer Uday Warunjikar said RTOs lacked space and manpower to carry out such inspections.

"Can part of the exercise be outsourced?" justice Chandrachud said, pointing out that outsourcing accelerated the recalibration process.

The court also said it would be more realistic to have third-party insurance for the vehicles and adjourned the case till February 15.

Road Ahead

n 1,274 taxis and 12,115 autorickshaws that have not switched to electronic meters may not be allowed to ply owing to reasons such non-renewal of permits, seizure by financiers or simply because the vehicles are beyond economical repair

n Advocate general D J Khambata told the court vehicles seized by financiers could approach the state government for recalibration of meters

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