Delhi: QR-code containing driver details now mandatory for cabs, autos
In February, the upgraded 'Himmat-Plus' app was launched with a special feature, whereby commuters would get the driver details by scanning the QR codes of taxis, autos and e-rickshaws. However, it was only limited to cabs plying to-and-from the airport and five metro stations. Last month, the transport department decided to make it mandatory for all cabs and autos plying in Delhi by mid-June.
QR code to be displayed prominently behind driver's seat
The department has already started working on this with the Delhi traffic police, who has details of over 3,000 drivers for now. A penalty of Rs. 5,000 will be charged if permit holders defy the rule, officials said. The QR-code will be displayed prominently on the headrest of driver's seat. It'll contain details like driver's photo, name, phone-number, address and the vehicle's registration number.
Press 'report journey' if you feel unsafe: Cops
In case the commuter feels unsafe, she/he can press 'report journey' button after scanning the machine-readable code. The Himmat dashboard would flash an alert and a team of police personnel will track the vehicle and send text messages to the commuter every 5-minutes to ensure his/her safety. It was initially launched in 2015, but didn't find many takers because it wasn't user-friendly.
This rule should have been implemented much earlier. Here's why
This rule should have been in place since earlier, when Uber driver Shiv Kumar Yadav raped a female passenger in 2014, maligning the cab-aggregator's image. In April this year, a 24-year-old Uber driver was arrested for masturbating in front of a 40-year-old woman passenger. Ola isn't safe either, with a Belgian woman alleging in 2016 that her cabbie forcibly kissed her in CR-Park.
