Transport dept draws up security norms for Ola, Uber and Meru cabs in Kolkata

In a bid to provide more safety and security to passengers, the state transport department has prepared a volley of norms which the operators of the on demand transportation technology aggregators will have to follow to get license. The instructions are required to be fulfilled within a time specified by the transport department.

This is for the first time when such steps have been taken up by any state government.

Several on demand transportation technology aggregators like Ola, Uber and Meru operate in the city. The operators had applied for license to continue plying the vehicles in the city. Thus the state transport department has come up with a set of regulations that has to be followed by to get the required license.

According to an official of the transport department, the operators need time to develop infrastructure which is required to comply with the norms. 

“For example there should be surveillance cameras and panic button in cars. At the same time the operators also have to set up 24x7 control rooms and the mechanism to share data with security agencies like the city police,” said the official adding that it is not possible for anyone to develop these infrastructures overnight. 

So the state government will give them some time to develop the same.

The state government has decided to “issue offer letters with expression that license will be given subject to development of infrastructure within the time specified.” Those who had submitted satisfactory documents will be getting the offer letters. Tomorrow (Tuesday) the operators will be getting the offer letters from Paribahan Bhawan.

It may be mentioned that questions were raised on the safety and security of passengers travelling in such cars following a series of incidents in the past few months. 

Thus the state transport department had taken the initiative to form a set of norms that the operators have to follow.