Maneka Gandhi has written to Nitin Gadkari urging him to ensure cab companies make taxis safe for women
Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi has written to Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari urging him to ensure that cab companies adhere to all safety guidelines. Ms Gandhi's letter on Monday came after numerous cases taxi drivers misbehaving with women passengers were reported.
According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, despite repeated reminders and periodical meetings with taxi aggregators, they have failed to adhere to the safety measures enumerated in the guidelines, especially conducting police verification of drivers and disabling central lock in cabs.
The letter comes in the wake of a recent incident in Bengaluru, where an Ola cab driver allegedly forced a woman passenger to strip.
Following the incident, Ms Gandhi had spoken for the need to ensure safety of women traveling via taxi aggregators and also pitched for the idea "exclusive women pooling" where women passengers could opt to choose their fellow riders in shared rides.
According to news agency IANS, officials from the ministry also met the representatives of taxi aggregators Ola and Uber. However, according to a senior official, the meeting was not "cordial".
"There are various issues in the operation of cab services. We are examining how women can be ensured safety while traveling via cab providers. We will soon propose ideas," an official had told IANS earlier.