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Rape case by cab driver in Indian capital likely to throw 20 taxi companies out of road

(Xinhua)    13:26, December 09, 2014
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NEW DELHI, Dec. 9  -- The banning of a radio cab company by Indian authorities over a rape case by its driver could trigger banning of some 20 other taxi companies in the Indian capital and result in the unemployment of thousands of drivers, said local media Tuesday.

"Aftershocks generated by the alleged rape of a 25-year-old woman by a cab driver on Friday night provoked Delhi government on Monday to ban the ride-sharing service, Uber, as well as order all app-based cab service providers to go off the roads in the capital, " said local daily The Times of India.

The transport department of Delhi government came out with a notification that said only six cab services -- Easy Cab, Mega Cab, Meru Cab, Chanson Cab, Yo Cab and Air Cab -- had the license to operate radio taxis.

Taxis in the Indian capital has to be ordered by phone or online instead of being hired by passengers on the road. Only a popular public transport service, auto rickshaw, can be hired by waving passengers on the road.

A rough estimate showed that over 20 cab services, including the popular Taxi-for-Sure, Ola, Quick Cabs, Delhi Cab, Wyn and Cosy, besides Uber, may have to stop operations. Uber alone is estimated to have had 3,000 drivers on its roster.

Uber has also been accused by police for criminal offenses of negligent conduct and cheating. Uber claimed to provide safe cabs, a claim that proved untrue, said police.

Company officials said that they didn't do any background checks themselves and relied on their partners and Delhi Police to do the verification.

The 44-year-old cab driver accused of rape was proved to be a former convict of sexual assault charges.

The incident also highlighted the problem of safety for women in the Indian capital, two years after a 23-year-old women was killed after being gang raped and beaten by six men on a moving bus in south Delhi in December 2012.

Analysts say that by clamping down on unsafe conduct by taxi companies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has learned a lesson from the gang rape case which severely hit the Congress government at that time. 

(Editor:Liang Jun,Gao Yinan)
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