Following the directions of Union Home Ministry to ban all web-based cabs in the city, the UT Administration on Thursday issued suspension orders to three unauthorised taxi operators in the city.
The State Transport Authority (STA) has issued orders to suspend services of Uber, Meru and Taxi for Sure in the city. Also, during the ongoing drive to keep a check on illegal taxi operators in Chandigarh, the STA has issued challan for 23 taxi drives and impounded two taxis on Thursday.
STA Additional Secretary Rajiv Tewari while talking to The Pioneer said that after the directions from the Union Ministry, the STA on Thursday issued suspension orders to three unauthorised taxi operators including Uber, Meru and Taxi for Sure. They have been asked to stop their operations immediately in the city.
He added, “Surprise checks were also conducted today and 23 unauthorised taxis were issued challans while two taxis were impounded by STA.”
Notably, in the event of being challaned, the maximum penalty that can be imposed is Rs5,000. Also, the STA can impound the vehicle during the checking process. In Chandigarh, around 200 taxis are being operated by three authorised taxi operations namely Fab Cab, Mega Cab and RBTZ in Chandigarh.
The STA has asked these operators to ensure functioning of global positioning system (GPS) in their radio taxis. According to the STA, around 150 unauthorised taxis are plying in the city. Earlier, the STA had declared that Uber, Meru, Ola, Fab Cabs and Taxi for Sure do not conform to regulations of the radio taxi scheme and illegally plying taxis in the city.
Tiwari said, “The STA has also directed Government and private schools, to submit the certificates of police verification of the drivers and conductors of the buses being used to ferry their students. “More than 400 school buses are plying in the city and the concerned authorities have been asked to immediately conduct the police verification of drivers and conductors.”
Earlier, the STA had directed the authorised taxi operators to furnish information like driving license, residential address and other details of drivers employed by them in next two days. The directions were issued after the alleged rape of 27 years old girl by a cab driver in New Delhi. last week, a taxi driver employed by US-based taxi operator Uber was arrested from Mathura for allegedly raping a woman executive in his cab in New Delhi.