Against the backdrop of rising trend in incidents of rape and sexual harassment in Delhi and NCR region, the Transport Department’s recent decision to distribute 8,000 NCR auto permits to private companies has come under flak.
The move, auto unions say, is unmindful of driver accountability and may compromise security of passengers who may end up being ferried by someone who has not been verified properly. Unions say that the decision also defies the Supreme Court’s fiat on fresh auto permits being given to individual drivers.
The decision is in sharp contrast to the slew of measures that came following the December 16 incident. “The Government seems to be defying its own measures to ensure safety of women passengers in the national Capital. It was that mandated that all drivers of public transport vehicles should possess a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badge and their details should be verified by local police. However, by issuing auto permits to the private companies, the entire process of authentication of the driver will take a backseat,” said Rajinder Soni,
“This is a gross violation of the Supreme Court’s order, which had paved the way for individual drivers to apply for new auto permits. The issuance of permits to private companies will only promote their self interests at the cost of the security of hapless commuters,” he added.
Pragya Singh n New Delhi
Against the backdrop of rising trend in incidents of rape and sexual harassment in Delhi and NCR region, the Transport Department’s recent decision to distribute 8,000 NCR auto permits to private companies has come under flak.
The move, auto unions say, is unmindful of driver accountability and may compromise security of passengers who may end up being ferried by someone who has not been verified properly. Unions say that the decision also defies the Supreme Court’s fiat on fresh auto permits being given to individual drivers.
The decision is in sharp contrast to the slew of measures that came following the December 16 incident. “The Government seems to be defying its own measures to ensure safety of women passengers in the national Capital. It was that mandated that all drivers of public transport vehicles should possess a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badge and their details should be verified by local police. However, by issuing auto permits to the private companies, the entire process of authentication of the driver will take a backseat,” said Rajinder Soni,
“This is a gross violation of the Supreme Court’s order, which had paved the way for individual drivers to apply for new auto permits. The issuance of permits to private companies will only promote their self interests at the cost of the security of hapless commuters,” he added.