The Hindu : Too many `radio taxis' in City?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Too many `radio taxis' in City?

By K. Satyamurty

Bangalore May 27. Bangaloreans have got used to the traffic bulletins aired on FM radio every evening on traffic conditions in the arterial roads and important junctions in the City, courtesy of the Karnataka Radio City Taxi Owners and Drivers' Association.

The association itself is trying to cope with the mushrooming growth of radio taxis all over the City. The General Secretary of the association, S. Gopinath, said there were at least 860 city taxis with wireless communications on the roads now, but the service had deteriorated because there was little check on their operations.

Cases of taxi drivers behaving in a dishonest manner, confident that they can get away with it, have alarmed the association. In February this year, a city taxi driver failed to return a bag containing Rs. 1 lakh in cash left behind in the cab by a passenger. Based on the passenger's complaint, the Ashok Nagar police traced the driver, arrested him, and recovered the money.

``Such incidents bring a bad name to all city taxis since the commuting public associate it as a generic name, and club all radio taxis together,'' Mr. Gopinath said. The Transport Department had approved only four taxi companies to set up a "control room" in the City through which messages for picking up passengers were relayed. These companies were authorised after obtaining bank guarantees for Rs. 1 lakh from each of them, he explained.

``If the Government wants to allow more radio-taxi operators they should also be asked to provide a minimum bank guarantee of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh," Mr. Gopinath said. If any of the taxi operators demanded excess fare, refused to come to a particular destination, or misbehaved with passengers, the deposit could be forfeited and the individual "control room" closed down, he added. While nearly 180 landline and mobile phone numbers were advertised by the new crop of radio taxis, the central control room established by the association and authorised by the Transport Department had only two numbers, 3131133 and 3523636, and standby numbers, 2276250/51. The authorised radio taxis provided services such as picking up guests from airport or railway stations without extra charges, bringing blood donors on request, and picking and dropping schoolchildren.

The taxi drivers were also provided group insurance and accident relief by the association. The association has requested the Transport Department to take action to limit the number of radio taxi operators and make them more responsible.

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