Cab sharing a good idea, says Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday came out in support of shared rides through app-based cab services and sought suggestions from people on ways to allow the service in the capital.

Terming it a “good idea”, Kejriwal said that the issue is being discussed within his government.

“Our concern is women safety. Sharing a ride with strangers may not be safe for women,” he said on Twitter.

The chief minister’s stand on cab-sharing being provided by mobile application-based aggregators is now likely to help the city’s transport department to finalise the ‘Licensing and Regulation of App Based Cab Aggregators Rules, 2017’. The policy, meant to govern cab operators such as Ola and Uber that are currently plying without licences in the absence of rules, has been stuck for months due to the government’s indecisiveness on shared cab rides.

The government had earlier decided to ban sharing cab rides in the city as technically the service was illegal. App-based cabs run on contract carriage licence which mandates drivers to pick up passengers only from Point A and drop them at Point B. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 does not permit picking up other passenger midway.

Later, the government removed the clause on prohibiting shared rides and decided to remain silent on the policy so the services continued.

However, sources said the city’s transport minister, Kailash Gahlot, after meeting representatives of taxi unions had expressed his unwillingness to allow it, after which the matter had been stuck in limbo.