Women may be able to choose co-passengers in Ola, Uber
What's the story
The Center is likely to direct taxi aggregators, mainly Ola and Uber, to introduce 'exclusive women pooling' option for its female passengers, in the wake of multiple incidents of assault. The Road Transport and Highways Ministry will convene a meeting with the companies and discuss the issue soon. A government official said letting women choose their co-passengers will make the ride safer for them.
The incident
After Ola driver assaults passenger, Maneka Gandhi suggests plan
The idea was floated by Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Women and Child Development, in a meeting held after a June 5 incident. In the shocking case, an Ola driver in Bengaluru forced a woman passenger to strip, threatening to rape her. It once again raised questions about women's safety in the country. Gandhi promised a discussion on the pooling option with the transport ministry.
The statement
On the women-pooling option, here's what Uber has to say
A spokesperson from Uber said the company has kept updating features to ensure the safety of passengers. "We are committed to working with the government and other stakeholders towards partnering on the road as well as the rider, driver safety initiatives and moving our cities forward," he added. Ironically, over the past few months, many women have reported assault by Uber drivers.
Details
Government asks taxi aggregators about driver recruitment process
The government asked Uber and Ola to come up with a foolproof mechanism to track route diversion by drivers. They were also asked to share details of their driver recruitment process with the government. In 2016, the government had asked taxi aggregators to include an SOS button, and allow passengers to share ride details with their friends or family.