Within a month of banning all but six radio cab-booking services, the Delhi government has modified its radio taxi scheme of 2006.
While several security measures have been incorporated, the Transport department has relaxed the condition mandating a fleet size of 500 taxis to be owned by the cab service provider. The number has been brought down to 200 and the service provider has to meet the specified fleet size in six months.
Under the modified scheme, effective from December 26, service-provider will have to be answerable for the “quality of drivers, their police verification and their conduct with passengers”. The modified schemes will have to make sure that the “drivers are totally safe, reliable, and trustworthy”.
Transport officials held a series of meetings with top government functionaries over the last fortnight to finalise the revised scheme. The process to modify the scheme was set in motion after a passenger was allegedly raped by Shiv Kumar Yadav, a driver with the Uber cabs.
For safety, the updated scheme mandates a panic button in every taxi that will transmit a distress signal to the nearest police station or the police control room.
Along with the name and phone number of the driver, the internet-enabled application accessed by the passenger will also display his photo, his public service badge number, license number, a photo of the taxi with its registration number.
The minimum qualification required for the driver is “middle school pass” or eighth standard or its equivalent. Radio taxi service providers will also have to bear the burden of conducting a “structured refresher training programme for its drivers.”
Also, the GPS device in the cab will be connected to the cab service’s control room. If it is switched off, the duration and reasons for turning it off have to be recorded by the service-provider.
The scheme states, “If the licencee uses or causes or allows a radio taxi to be used in any manner not authorised by the permit or provisions mentioned herein, the licencee and the driver shall be jointly responsible for any injury, harm, offence or crime committed by any person , including the driver.”
The Transport department has stated that all radio taxis will have to be white with a coloured stripe on both sides displaying the name of the service-provider. The drivers will have to wear uniforms.
“The six licensed cab services were registered under the scheme of 2006. But if they want to avail the benefits extended to aggregators in the modified scheme, they will have to approach the Transport department. The modalities will be worked out,” a senior Transport official said.
Operators will have to be a registered company with a registered office in Delhi and details of its headquarters will have to be provided to the Transport department.
WHAT’S NEW?
CAB SERVICES
To have a registered office in Delhi
Can be aggregators or service providers. Should have 200 taxis in six months
To have registered web-portals
CABS
To have a panic button
To display photograph, license number, PSV badge number of driver
GPS link to service continued…
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