The Delhi High Court has recently warned the Delhi government of strict action if it failed to finalise a policy to regulate taxis running in the city by the end of November, 2018.

“If action is not taken by then, we will be constrained to take strict action,” the court said.

The court directed the Delhi government to place before it the New City Taxi Policy and the Licensing and Regulation of App-based Aggregators Rules, 2017 by November 26, 2018, the next date of hearing.

The warning was issued while hearing a plea initiated by the court after taking cognizance of an incident that occurred on September 12, 2017, where a driver of a black-yellow taxi allegedly offered a lift to a woman and then sexually assaulted her.

The incident brought under consideration the City’s Taxi Scheme, 2017.

Further, the court indicated the inability of the Delhi police and traffic police to check the gross violation of law by taxi drives in Delhi.

“It points out that enforcement agencies, Delhi Police and traffic police are unable to check gross violation of law by taxi drivers in Delhi, resulting in serious crimes, including sexual violence against passengers,” the court said.

Earlier, in September 2017, the Delhi government had sought four weeks to place the regulations before the court, and on July 31 this year, it sought two more months to carry out the exercise.