LUCKNOW, March 11 -- The state government on Tuesday also decided to make state registration mandatory for app-based ride-hailing service providers like Ola and Uber. A decision in this regard was taken by the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Now, no Ola, Uber or other taxi will be allowed to operate without registration, fitness, police verification and medical examination of drivers. Briefing media persons about the state cabinet's decision, minister of state (independent charge) for transport, Daya Shankar Singh, said the decision has been taken keeping in view the safety and convenience of passengers. He referred to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, specifically Section 93, and said the state government has adopted the rules that the union government amended on July 1, 2025. He said earlier, there was no regulatory control over Ola and Uber, but now they will also be required to register. He said until now, authorities were not able to verify who was driving the vehicles. "The rule will come into effect once the official notification is issued. The application fee will be Rs.25,000, while companies operating 50-100 or more vehicles will have to pay a licensing fee of Rs.5 lakh. The license will be renewed every five years, and the renewal fee will be Rs.5,000," said Singh. Those aware of the development said the rules provide for a penalty of 10% of fare, subject to a maximum of Rs 100 to be realised for cancellation. There are also penal provisions for delay. The aggregators would have to set up a 24x7 control room and ensure connectivity with drivers, monitor them, track route and an alert would be sent to the control room if there is any deviation from the route. There are provisions for minimum Rs 5 lakh insurance coverage for passengers and ratings by them. The aggregators, through their app, would provide complete details about drivers up to 7 days after completion of journey. HTC...