After public outrage over the rape of a 27-year-old MNC executive forced the Delhi Government to ban a majority of application-based cab services, the government has now formulated specific safety guidelines to govern the operation of passenger-carrying vehicles in the Capital.
According to the new rules, it would be mandatory for cabs to register with the Transport Department, install global positioning system (GPS) and obtain necessary permits to ply in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Commercially registered, but private-owned cabs with All India Permits would not be allowed to ply in the Capital like they could earlier. This decision was taken as the Uber cab driver who allegedly raped the MNC executive earlier this month had an All India Permit instead of anNCR permit.
“Apart from these guidelines, the new rules will also necessitate that those operating cab services in Delhi provide the complete database of their drivers to the police,” said a Transport official adding that the new laws aimed to ensure that cab operators were held responsible for the actions of their drivers.
The Government had banned web-based taxi booking services on December 8 following outrage over the rape of the MNC executive allegedly by Shiv Kumar Yadav. He was behind the wheels of a cab being operated by international cab aggregation company Uber, which operates solely through its mobile app. The Transport Department has sent the proposal comprising strict guidelines for taxi operators to Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung for his nod. Also according to the proposal, black and yellow taxi owners would now be allowed to register with any cab service company.
“Under the old rules, no responsibility lay on the companies operating the cabs. But, the new laws will ensure that they take complete responsibility of the driver’s behaviour,” the official added.
