Bengaluru: Taxi aggregator Uber is on course for a head on collision with the Transport Department. In direct opposition to the Transport Commissioner’s Friday deadline for aggregators to halt ride-sharing services, Uber has announced that it will continue with its UberPOOL service, claiming that it is legal.Justifying the continuation of UberPOOL, Christian Freese, general manager, Uber, Bengaluru, said: “We believe UberPOOL is within the law, and so right now there is no push to stop the product. We have always said that ride share is something that is very much welcome for a city such as Bengaluru.”

The government officials said there was no legal framework for ride-share services, and that they would not tolerate the flouting of rules. “If they decide to ply on Friday, we will take action against them,” Transport Commissioner M.K. Aiyappa said.

The company has also started an online petition to gather signatures from supporters of UberPOOL, stating that they would present it to officials as proof of the popularity of the service. At a meeting with Aiyappa on Thursday, Uber tried to get the ban lifted, but was unsuccessful.