Banning Uber not a solution, says Gadkari

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today disagreed with the decision to ban Uber cab services in Delhi in the wake of the alleged rape of a 27-year -old woman in a taxi plying under it, saying such a move could not be a solution.

"New developments are taking place in transport systems through electronics. Banning the railways for train accidents, buses for bus accidents and taxis is not correct," Gadkari said outside Parliament House here.

The minister's statement came a day after Delhi government banned all operations by private cab service Uber with immediate effect and blacklisted it from providing any transport service in the national capital following the alleged rape committed by a driver registered with it.

Asked specifically about Delhi government's move, the Union minister said that state governments have the right to take a decision in such matters.

"It is up to the state government to decide because the subject is in Concurrent list. State governments have equal right to take a decision about it," he said.

Saying that new systems with modern concepts must be encouraged Gadkari, however, noted that lacunae in such systems should be plugged.

Citing data that 30 per cent of driving licences in the country were bogus, the minister said that a new system would be put in place to replace the Motor Vehicles Act.

"As per a report, 30 per cent of the driving licences in the country are bogus... We are going to change the 1988 Motor Vehicles Act by which we will have a centre comprising all records of drivers. That would help solve the problem of accessing the accident and criminal records of drivers," he said.

Examining legal liability of Uber in rape case: Delhi top cop

New Delhi: Delhi Police is examining legal liability of Uber taxi service and probing how the fake police verification certificate was provided to the accused in the rape of a 27-year-old woman in a cab in the national capital, Commissioner BS Bassi said today.

"Delhi (govt) has issued a notification banning the activities of Uber in Delhi. Police verification certificate was found to be false. An FIR has been registered and it will be probed so that the guilty are punished.

"We are also legally examining what action can be taken against Uber for not fulfilling its promises," Bassi told reporters after briefing Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Parliament on the progress of the investigation into the case.

Asked about Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari's disagreement with the decision to ban Uber cab services in Delhi in the wake of the rape, Bassi said, "I do not know about the statement. But we are examining the legal liability.

"It is our endeavour to ensure that women are 100 per cent safe and can go anywhere without any problem."

Delhi Police is taking all steps to ensure that crimes against women are not suppressed, Bassi said, adding that, with a view to ensuring women's safety, 5,000 cameras have been installed already while 10,000 more are proposed to be installed in various parts of the city.

"Women now feel empowered to complain. We also have to impart self-defence training. In the last one year, we have imparted self-defence training to 14,000 women.

"There is a need to increase so that the gap in physical capacity between women and men is addressed and women can defend themselves," he said.

The top cop said that the government has decided to increase the number of women personnel in Delhi Police. A total of 1,250 women constables have been hired and they will be on the streets of the national capital after around eight months, he said.

"There are certain areas in the city where there is a high rate of crimes against women, especially the localities of the weaker sections of society. We have deployed women police personnel in beats so that they can directly interact with the women of such areas and talk to them about there problems," he said.

On the question of the safety of women in Delhi, the Police Commissioner further said that "whenever there is such an incident, it is investigated attentively".

"There are instructions for completing investigations in such cases within 20 days and, if it is not, then the information is given to the Joint Commissioner of Police.

"(Then) if it is not completed within 30 days, it is sent to the Special Commissioner and the Commissioner so as to ensure that the investigation is not pending without any reason," Bassi said.

Meanwhile, investigators said they have sought several documents from Uber as an FIR was last night registered against the US-based taxi booking service.

Shiv Kumar Yadav, the cab driver accused of rape, allegedly raped the woman on Friday night when the victim, who works for a finance company in Gurgaon, was headed back to her home in north Delhi's Inderlok area.

Earlier, Bassi also met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for what he said were routine discussions.

Asked about the details of his meeting with Doval, he said, "I meet a number of people and it's routine and there are a number of things that we discuss during such meetings."

Bassi said that following the arrest of the accused, Shiv Kumar Yadav, police have produced him in court and got him on three-days' remand.

"We are questioning him to ascertain the complete details of the crime," he said.

When told that PCR vans were missing in the area when the incident occurred, he said, "The incident occurred over a distance of 20-km. I do not want to go into details. But it is our effort that there is no place in Delhi where women would find themselves insecure.

"We have taken steps to increase police presence and keep doing so. Especially, outside girls colleges and schools, we have deployed women police personnel," he said.

Elaborating further on the steps taken to augment women's safety, the commissioner said all police stations have women police personnel and 24x7 women help desks.

"For women's safety, we are committed to creating a safe environment and have taken steps in that direction... There is the highest level of monitoring irrespective of whether the media takes note or not," he said.