Govt orders installation of GPS in all Delhi cabs

New Delhi, Mar 15: In order to ensure women safety, Delhi government has ordered all taxi operators to install GPS in their vehicles, failing which fitness certificate will not be issued to them.

According to a senior official, the government's decision will be enforced on all types of taxis, including Radio taxis and black-and-yellow cabs, plying in different parts of the national capital.

The government has also made it clear that taxi operators will not be issued fitness certificates unless they get Global Positioning System (GPS) installed in their vehicles.

The decision comes months after a 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a driver enlisted with the US-based cab service, Uber, in December last year inside the taxi in which GPS was not installed.

"We want to ensure women safety in all public taxis due to which we have directed all operators, including of black-and-yellow cabs, to first install GPS in their vehicles," the official said, adding, the transport department will issue the fitness certificate to taxi operators only after checking installation of GPS.

"GPS will not only ensure women safety in taxis but it also will help police in case of untoward incident," he said. There are more than 15,000 cabs, including black-and-yellow taxis and Delhi-NCR taxis, plying across the capital.

However, the Delhi Taxis' Union has threatened to launch a series of protest if government does not withdraw its decision immediately. "GPS is not the only solution to ensure women safety... government should immediately withdraw this decision, else we will come out on the streets and protest against it," Rajendra Soni, general secretary of Delhi Taxis' Union, said.

PTI