Accusing app-based taxi operators Ola and Uber of cheating Transport Department, Delhi Government as well as the taxi drivers, Transport Minister Gopal Rai on Friday reiterated that the city Government will not compromise with the safety of women.
At a Press conference at his office, Rai accused the app-based taxi services of not holding up their end of the bargain, which led to the rejection of their applications by the Transport Department.
“Delhi Government wants to set the record straight on the issue of app-based taxi services in the national Capital since an impression is being created as if the State Government has taken some fresh decision. It is regretted that companies like Uber and Ola are misleading poor taxi drivers and the general public of the national Capital,” said Rai.
Meanwhile, Delhi Traffic Police has impounded 120 radio cabs, taking the total number to 300 in just three days.
Asserting that Delhi is not against any kind of business and will follow best practices to promote the interests of commuters, Rai however, clarified that it won’t do so at the expense of safety of women.
Rai alleged that despite agreeing in a meeting on May 28 to furnish the data of drivers and their vehicles within a week and give an undertaking that they will comply with safety regulations, particularly for women commuters, Uber and Ola did not furnish the data within the time limit agreed to by them. “It was due to this, that their pending applications for fresh licenses were rejected. It is beyond any reasonable understanding as to why companies are unwilling to share their dataIJ Do they have anything to hideIJ” he asked.
Rai added that he met driver associations over the last two days and they told him that they have submitted all their details with the offices of these companies located at Gurgaon. “Then why are these companies hesitant to share the data with the transport departmentIJ In case these companies have nothing to hide, they should come clean and submit the required data and comply with stipulated safety guidelines,” he said.
In a meeting on May 28, the Delhi Government had told different taxi operators, including the representatives of Ola and Uber companies, that their pending applications for fresh licenses will be considered only if they agree to adhere to the existing ban on them, furnish the data of drivers and their vehicles within a week and give an undertaking that they will comply with safety regulations, particularly for women commuters.
Following an alleged rape in a moving taxi on December 6 last year, services of Uber and other app-based taxi services were banned in Delhi. Matters got worse for these cab services after a woman alleged last week that an Uber driver tried to kiss him. The driver was arrested and later released on bail.