For commuters’ safety, web-based taxis to be linked with UT transport body - Hindustan Times
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For commuters’ safety, web-based taxis to be linked with UT transport body

Hindustan Times | By, Chandigarh
Jul 10, 2016 04:58 PM IST

The UT administration is planning to link web-based taxis with the UT State Transport Authority (STA) control room.

The UT administration is planning to link web-based taxis with the UT State Transport Authority (STA) control room.

The entire process will likely take a month.(HT Representative Image)
The entire process will likely take a month.(HT Representative Image)

The companies that take bookings through the internet are called web-based taxis. To book a cab through an app-based taxi service provider, one needs to download the company’s application on a mobile phone.

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Also, only contract carriage permit vehicles bearing registration number of Chandigarh will be pressed into web-taxi service. Those registered with Punjab and Haryana will have to pay an entry fee for ferrying passengers. The licence for plying a taxi will be issued for five years.

The matter has been proposed through a draft policy to regulate web-based aggregators operating in the city.

The draft awaits a nod from UT administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki before it is notified. Before finalising the draft, the city residents will submit suggestions to the UT.

Web-based taxis are booked through the internet or mobile applications. The link-up with the STA control room will help keeping a track of such vehicles.

The entire process will likely take a month.

“The policy will be cleared after getting suggestions from the residents. It’s opinions of those who travel through these taxis that matter the most,” said KK Jindal, secretary, transport.

The policy is prepared on the pattern of a similar policy notified for web-based taxis in Karnataka, but has been tweaked as per the city’s requirement.

The regulation of webbased taxis will also ensure the commuters’ safety. From verification of the drivers to proper display of registration numbers on vehicles and having GPS installed in them — each step is included in the draft policy.

About more than half a dozen web-based and app-based taxis are operating in the city. Both will be covered under the policy. The UT may also make it mandatory for all companies to come up with mobile apps. The operators will get minimum five-year licence for operation.

FARES TO BE FIXED

Owing to no specific policy, the web-based taxis are not controlled by the UT. With the upcoming policy, the UT will also fix the fare. Last year, the web-based taxi aggregators were fined for several violations. The main issues addressed in the draft policy are passengers’ safety, contract carriage permit conditions be complied with fare regulation, minimum and maximum fare be notified, installation of fare meters, GPS and cameras, and driver’s police verification.

MANDATORY GUIDELINES

The applicant keen on operating the web-based taxis will need to have a registered company. Only those having transport badges issued by the government will be allowed to function. During any booking, the details like driver’s names, his photograph and licence number should be messaged to the passenger. A person with twoyear experience will be eligible to drive such taxis.

Besides, the UT has also prepared draft an e-rickshaw policy. The rickshaws will be registered as transport vehicles and will be granted contract carriage permits without fare meter.

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