Delhi transport department wants Uber's app, website banned in India: report

The Delhi transport department is consulting the Central government to block Uber’s IP address in India if the taxi-app doesn’t get a radio license in the city soon, says a report in the Economic Times . If Uber’s IP address is banned, it will mean that the app and website will not be accessible in India and a huge loss to the start-up. The Economic Times report also quotes a senior official in the Delhi transport department as saying, “We are waiting to see if they comply and apply for a licence before issuing a written request (to block the IP address).” It adds that the Delhi government will likely submit an application today in the High Court on what methods should be “adopted to block the IP address.” Uber’s trouble began in last year on 7 December, when a driver for one of the Uber cabs, Shiv Kumar Yadav raped an MNC executive in Delhi. After that, Uber was quickly banned in the city, although the app is still accessible to users and the company resumed operations in the city in January, though the ban officially continues. [caption id=“attachment_2068831” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Earlier this month , Uber added a panic button and tracking features to its taxi hailing app in India. Uber’s India app now has a “send status” feature to enable passengers to share ride details with their contacts in real time. The app also has an “SOS” button to call the local police directly. A spokesman said the functions were the first market-specific safety features launched by Uber. The company also said it plans to launch safety features in other countries soon. “Safety concerns tend to be unique for each local market. We recognised the demand for these features in India,” the spokesman added. However, Uber’s problems extend to more than just a including an SOS button. The company has also applied for a radio taxi license in India in January but the application is still to get approval as the transport department had asked for extra details in the form. Incidentally today 25 February is the last day for the approval to be granted. Uber is also fighting bans in France, Spain and South Korea for alleged violations including using unlicensed drivers. It has also faced rape allegations against drivers in Chicago and Boston. It remains to be seen whether Uber app will be banned in India altogether and given the way things have gone so far, it could be a very real possibility.