‘Cabs, rickshaws must display permit, licence, helpline numbers’ – Maharashtra Govt

The government order also states that non-compliance would result in a fine of upto Rs 5,000.

Taxi, rickshaw and tourist buses in Maharashtra will now have to compulsorily display their license and permits in their vehicles. It would also be binding on them to display police and transport helpline numbers, including those meant for women safety.

A month after the rape of a 27-year-old woman in a cab in Delhi, the Maharashtra government has issued fresh guidelines to enhance security of commuters.

S K Sharma, Principal Secretary, Transport Department, Government of Maharashtra, said orders in this regard were issued on Thursday.
The government order also states that those not complying with the norm would be fined Rs 1,000 the first time. “This would further be raised to Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 if the offence is repeated a second and third time respectively. The license of habitual offenders can also be cancelled,” Sharma said. “The norm will be strictly enforced from February 1 onwards,” he added.

The government has also extended the norm to all public vehicles. Senior officials said that the move would deter operators from employing unauthorized drivers.

Further in the wake of the Delhi incident, the Maharashtra government has also decided to make permit holders accountable for behaviour of their drivers. “Action would be initiated even against a permit holder for a driver’s misbehaviour,” Sharma said. The government has argued that it was the operators’ responsibility to ascertain a driver’s character before hiring him.

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