Web-based firms operating cabs in Bengaluru have welcomed the 25-point guidelines framed for cab aggregators and operators by the Transport Commissioner and the city police here on Tuesday.
Anand Subramanian, Director (Marketing Communication), Ola, in a statement, said that despite not being a transport service provider, the company checks the personal and professional details of the “partner driver”, and verifies all documents. Every ride is tracked.
Following the incident in Delhi, he said: “We are working on creating an additional layer of GPS tracking in all cabs on the platform.”
A statement from TaxiForSure said: “TaxiforSure welcomes the proactive move by the Karnataka authorities to ensure that the commute, convenience and the safety of passengers is taken care of. We will continue to work with them closely, and follow the processes and procedures that were discussed and mutually accepted in today’s meeting.”
Meru and Carzonrent, which also operate cabs in the city, were inaccessible for comments.
Hariprakash Agarwal, founder, Rideally, a web-based share-cab company in Bengaluru, said: “If the aggregator has to verify the antecedents of the driver, a lot of other businesses will also be impacted, for instance that of companies with verification technologies.”
Verifying antecedents of cab drivers is a good move which will act as a deterrent but will not prevent crime as there will always be “first-time criminals”, he said, adding that the verification system cannot be foolproof. According to him the safety of passengers is the responsibility of both the law enforcers and the industry.
Driving home the fact that some of the guidelines are not practical, he asked: “If I send the background data on 50 drivers, will police verify that and send the feedback to me in two days?”
