BENGALURU: With the state government allowing cabs to ply from Tuesday, some drivers have hit upon the idea of putting up a transparent partition in their vehicles in order to maintain social distancing. Following the Kerala model, Irshad (name changed), an Uber driver, approached a JC Road service station with his vehicle to get a hard fibre sheet fixed, which will serve as a partition between the passenger and the driver.
Speaking to TNIE, Irshad said, “When I saw some drivers getting the sheet fixed, I thought to do the same for the safety of the passengers and myself. This way, the passengers will also feel confident to take the ride.”He added, “No passenger will be allowed to sit next to the driver. At Uber, we have been asked to shift to online payment.”Naushad Latheef, Owner of Car Look service station, said that there has been a demand since the past week for installing fibre sheets in yellow board private taxis. “The sheet costs `4,000-`5,000,” he said.
Tanveer Pasha, president of Ola, Uber Drivers and Owners Association, said the government needs to give funds for the sheets and automatic spray sanitisers to be installed in the taxis. Once a customer alights, the driver has to press a button and the whole car will be sanitised. “Though the government has given its nod to allow cabs and autorickshaws, it hasn’t come out with any guidelines. Only when we have these safety measures in place will passengers feel confident and commute in the cabs. Not all drivers can afford to install these sheets.”