Following the rape of a woman in an Uber taxi in New Delhi a few weeks ago, the Tamil Nadu Call Taxi Owners Association has decided to ask drivers to submit family photos and five phone numbers each for security purposes.
Soon after the incident in New Delhi, the police had insisted that all call-taxi drivers get no-objection certificates from the police.
The call-taxi owners however felt that it was better to collect the details of the drivers. “By getting their family photo and phone numbers, we can easily track them if they commit any offence,” said Redsun C. Ambigapathy, president of the association. Eight companies in Chennai and 60 across the State are part of the association.
Though there are plans to install panic buttons in cars, Mr. Ambigapathy said that the move would take time. “As of now, individual operators have security measures such as GPS and driver-tracking mechanisms in place. It will take a while to implement a common system. This has to be done by the government,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Fast Track call-taxi service, owned by Mr. Ambigapathy, has installed GPS systems in 70 per cent of its fleet. “All cars will soon have GPS. Drivers also undergo three days of training on driving skills and how to behave with customers to make sure the latter’s needs are met,” he added.
