A slew of measures were taken by the Delhi Police and the Home Ministry for ensuring women’s safety in the Capital post the December 16 gang-rape. However, Friday’s rape incident has proved yet again that the Capital remains an unsafe place.
One of the many steps that the Ministry took was laying down guidelines for private cabs in the Capital. These guidelines apply to private cabs hired by offices as well as radio taxi cabs.
The MHA, in its order issued late last year, had ordered the cab companies to maintain a database of all their employees and share it with the police. Ensuring verification of antecedents of all the employees, including contractual ones, was also made mandatory.
If a woman is using an office cab, as per MHA order, she cannot be made to travel alone at night. Either a male employee or an armed security guard must accompany her home.
The route must be chosen in such a manner that the woman employee is not the last one to be dropped.
The Ministry order also said that GPS navigation system should be fitted in cabs and the route monitored by cab companies.
“Exercise effective check and control on the vehicle’s movement in order to check any unwarranted activities of the cab drivers such as picking up strangers, straying away from the designated route,” read the order.
However, despite this rule, the cab driver who raped the 27-year-old woman on Friday had deviated from his path. However, there was no check from the cab company.
As per the MHA order, any person contravening this order is liable to be punished under Section 188 IPC.
