In a boost to ride-hailing companies like Ola and Uber, union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said close to 10 million Indians will be using cab aggregator services every day in the next two years.

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Releasing ease of moving index report by Ola Mobility Institute, Gadkari said government is focusing on boosting public transportation in the country and wants to discourage the use of private cars.

In order to tackle the heavy traffic in the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Chandigarh areas, the union minister said people should use more public transportation.

Gadkari encouraged double-decker buses, which run on biofuels, and the fast train which ply in Mumbai to be brought on these routes to curb the usage of private cars.

Road and Transport Minister @nitin_gadkari says government is focussing on boosting public transport in the country. pic.twitter.com/W1YB9fUZrb

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 1, 2018

However, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) informed the top court that commercial vehicles like trucks and taxis were the major source of pollution in the national capital and there there was a need to control their operation.

The overall air quality index of New Delhi was recorded at 392, which falls in the 'very poor' category and is just eight points from turning severe. The EPCA had urged Delhiites to use public transport for the first 10 days of November to keep a check on pollution. Private vehicles contribute to 40 percent pollution in Delhi-NCR.

However, the use of cab aggregators at the moment seems difficult as Ola and Uber have been on strike for the last 10 days. The strike has been continuing since October 22.

This strike has been called under the banner of Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh, which has been demanding an increase in fare from Rs 6 per km to Rs 18 per km.

Rising fuel costs and discounts to customers have made it difficult to operate, the drivers said. They are also questioning the dynamic commission structure that Ola and Uber are operating on.

(With inputs from PTI)

First Published:Nov 1, 2018 3:41 PM IST