BENGALURU: In a bid to ensure safety of railway passengers, the Government Railway Police (GRP) have cracked the whip on all taxies entering and exiting the premises of Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna railway station. The ongoing drive, which commenced on December 15, is the brainchild of GRP Superintendent Bhima Shankar Guled. Cops can now be seen flagging down cabs and verifying documents and identity of taxi drivers, especially during peak morning and evening hours. A total of 199 cases have been booked so far, with `21,500 collected as penalty.
“The City railway station has a high footfall. So our focus is right now on this station. We want to take care that all the drivers are authorised, licensed individuals so that passengers, specially women, are safe with them,” Guled told The New Indian Express. The presence of the cops creates a sense of security among passengers, he added.
A senior official said, “We are focussing on taxi drivers who do not have on board a display card carrying their photo, address and contact numbers. If they have these details with them, women riders will at least have some idea about who is taking them to their destination.”
Since this is a serious offence, it invites a high fine and only the Traffic Court is authorised to collect it, another GRP personnel said. “Most other offences only invite a fine of `100, with pollution-related violations attracting a fine ranging between `300 and `1,000. In case of vehicles emitting fumes, we either seize the vehicle or documents, and send them to court. The judge decides on the fine for it.”Cab drivers have been booked for various reasons, such as not wearing uniforms, parking their vehicles in the ‘No Parking’ zone, making a wrong entry or driving vehicles emitting fumes.