Soon, tracking device must for Ola, Uber

NEWDELHI: Other than the mobile phone-based GPS system, cab aggregators in Delhi will soon have to fix a separate tracking device in the taxis run by them.

Part of the upcoming ‘Licensing and Regulation of App Based Cab Aggregators Rules, 2017’, the Delhi government has recently inserted the clause in the policy to ensure passenger safety.

“The GPS navigation system used by taxi drivers is only accessible to the cab aggregating company. Once all these cars are fitted with a separate GPS device, the transport department will be able to monitor it on a real-time basis,” a transport department official said.

For 24x7 monitoring of these vehicles, a new control room is being built at the department’s headquarters in North Delhi.

The norm, however, will come into force only once the new policy is notified. The notification is likely to take at least a month as the policy is yet to be sent to the Lieutenant Governor for approval after which the draft rules will be made public for comments for a 30-day period.

Once in place, non-compliance of the rules will attract a strict penalty from the cab drivers. “If GPS is out of order then it should be repaired within 24 hours failing which the taxi owner is liable for penalty of Rs. 500/- per day. The penalty will be charged at the time of annual fitness of the taxi,” the draft rules read.

The rules also talk of installing digital monitors in cabs through which a passenger will be able to keep track of the route taken by the driver.

“The taxi shall be fitted with GPS and GPRS based tracking device, printer, and a display panel showing the path trav- ersed and total distance covered. The device shall be in constant communication with the central control room of the transport department in case of individual devices,” it stated.

In case a passenger reports misconduct amounting to an offence during the journey, it will be the aggregators’ responsibility to file a police complaint. Non-reporting of any offence to the police will attract a fine of ₹ 1 lakh for each complaint.