Commuters must remain alert: Cab providers

Safety in radio taxis has once again come under the scanner. Rajat Arora reports.

Safety in radio taxis has once again come under the scanner.

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When asked for their take, cab providers said that they took several measures to ensure the safety of commuters.

Almost all companies that run radio taxi services here have installed global positioning system (GPS) in their cars so that the movement of the cars can be easily tracked.

“Scanning and counselling of drivers is paramount when it comes to safety. Installation of GPS and digital maps in the cab and saving the address of passengers, are other features,” said Binod Sharma of cab provider Mega Cabs.

Another important safety feature is a panic button installed on the back seat of the cab.

In Tuesday’s incident, in which a girl was allegedly raped by a cabbie, the passenger was sitting on the front seat.

Sharma said that commuters should never take the front seat while travelling alone.

In August 2008, three women returning from a party in Noida were allegedly harassed by a driver who was driving under the influence of liquor. The driver allegedly attempted to drive away from their destination.

“You cannot replace drivers. The only way out is for commuters to remain alert,” said an official of Mega Cabs.

“Other than police verification, we have an independent agency to check the character of drivers. Agents visit areas where drivers live and get feedback from neighbours,” said Rajesh Puri, CEO, Meru Cabs.

“We track taxis from our call centers and also have enforcement teams to keep a check on drivers on duty,” added Puri.