Cracking the whip against illegal taxis plying in the city and areas of Cyberabad, the Road Transport Authority (RTA) booked more than 50 cases against cab drivers across the capital here on Wednesday.
Acting against the backdrop of the Centre banning the taxi service ‘Uber’, checks were conducted at Shamshabad, Jubilee Hills and Gachibowli by RTA officials, resulting in cases being registered under the Motor Vehicle (MV) Act. “Most of the drivers we caught were running private cars as taxis. From now on, enforcement will be held regularly,” said T. Raghunath, RTA Joint Commissioner.
He said the RTA has also informed taxi drivers in the city not to associate themselves with Uber, the solutions company that has been banned by the Centre, following the rape of a girl by a cab driver. “Also, we request citizens not to utilise the company’s services,” he said.
B. Venkateswarulu, Joint Commissioner, also said the RTA will be concentrating on various aspects of enforcement concerning cab drivers in the city. As per the existing framework, taxi service companies and cab drivers must get registered first, then obtain permits to ply on roads.
Apart from that, the vehicles also require fitness certificates, with the cab drivers holding valid driving licences, and must wear badges on their uniform mandatorily. “Those badges are issued only to those who are qualified to drive in the city, and are applicable for bus drivers as well,” Mr. Raghunath said.
Acting on a circular from the Centre, the Telangana RTA department on Tuesday had banned Uber across the State, as the company did not seek permission to operate here.
