Following the crack down on private cabs in Delhi, Karnataka too, has moved to stream line private taxi services in the state. The state govt has issued a list of 25 guidelines, foremost among them being the requirement to have a valid permit to operate. The result - several cab companies suddenly find themselves in the transport departments "banned" list, report CNBC-TV18's Poornima Murli and Payaswini Upadhyay.
It's been banned in the capital after the unfortunate Uber incident, but there is some respite for Ola cabs as it has been allowed to continue services in Karnataka. Ola isn't the only one breathing a partial sigh of relief. Meru Cabs also finds itself on the list of 8 cab companies which have been permitted to operate in the state. The government is now hinting at strict action against operators who still haven't registered with the state's transport department.
Rame Gowda, Karnataka Transport Commissioner, said, "Till now 8 have registered. Others who have not registered are not allowed to run. However some cabs are not yet registered and if they operate we will take action against them."
Taxi for sure, Zoom Cars and Cars are the three aggregators that have been banned in the state, reason: the state transport department claims these companies haven't got a permit to ply yet. However Zoom Cars says it does have a permit and is in compliance with law.
David Back, founder Zoom Cars, said, "'We are registered as self drive commercial. We do not have a taxi cab permit. So, this announcement, we are aware of it but it doesn't affect us." "We already have the permits. That's old news. We want to make sure that we are not only in compliance with the law but that we are actually going beyond our legal obligations to do whatever is best for our members."
The state transport department has not only cracked the whip against cab operators plying without valid permits, but it also wants to ensure that all taxis which the companies operate comply with the permit conditions for city taxis under Section 74 and 84 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. Under a new set of guidelines issued this week, all private cabs must display their permits prominently, and have communication systems connecting the vehicle to the company control room. Having electronic fare meters installed in the cab is another requirement. It remains to be seen how quickly private cab operators manage to comply with the stricter norms in order to get themselves back on the road.
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