Karnataka to do away with child lock in all taxis in 3 months

State tells HC that they have already been removed from 42,000 cabs in the past one month

The State government on Wednesday told the Karnataka High Court that the child lock system in around 42,000 cabs/taxis of the total 2.5 lakh registered across the State has been deactivated as per the new rule, and would be deactivated in the remaining cabs within three months.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice L. Narayana Swamy and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, which recorded these submissions of the State, has disposed of a PIL petition filed by Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) A.S. Ponnanna told the bench that the process of deactivating the child lock system in a car is a tedious one requiring around two hours for each vehicle. The system has already been deactivated in 42,000 cabs/taxis since the new law came into force on December 14, 2018 by amending the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules.

The petitioner-society had sought a direction to the State to deactivate the child lock in cabs/taxis while pointing out that the system, which was introduced keeping in mind the safety of children sitting in the rear seat in all types of cars, has in the recent past turned into a threat to the safety of women.

The State, in response to the PIL, came out with a proposal before the court in September last year stating that Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules would be amended for regulating the child lock in cabs, and issued draft rules in October 2018 inviting objections and suggestions from the public. The new rule states that grant or renewal of permit and fitness certificate will be subject to deactivation of child lock system in all types of cabs/taxis.

Meanwhile, a group of taxi operators on Wednesday requested to the court to hear application to be part of the proceedings while contending that the new rule is contrary to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

However, counsel for the petitioners claimed that the central government has already come out with a draft notification to prohibit child lock system in M1 category transport vehicles.

Meanwhile, AAG has pointed out that taxi operators can challenge the new rule in a separate petition.

Following these submissions, the court dismissed the taxi operators’ plea while closing the society’s petition.