KOTTAYAM: Despite two months passing since the state government issued an order formulating the State Motor Vehicle Aggregator Policy, based on the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines-2020 of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), there is still confusion surrounding its implementation. The policy aims to streamline the operation of public transport vehicles, particularly online taxi services.
While the motor vehicles department (MVD) says further clarity is needed regarding the policy, many online taxi vehicles have failed to obtain the necessary aggregator licence, which is essential for safeguarding the rights of both passengers and drivers. Despite the existence of the government order, compliance with this requirement has been lacking.
It was on November 27, 2020, that MoRTH shared the Motor Vehicle Aggregators Guidelines-2020, with the state governments and Union territories so that they could use it for issuance of licences as well as regulating the business being conducted by the Cab Aggregators (CA). After four years, on April 8, Kerala rolled out its aggregator policy ‘to ensure the conduct of responsible, effective and efficient conduct of business by the aggregators and urges every statutory authority to implement this policy in letter and spirit.’
MVD officials said that they would send a letter to the government seeking clarification on the implementation of the new policy. “The government order did not specify the authority responsible for issuing aggregator licences. According to the order, it will be either the government or an authority appointed by the government that will determine the licence issuing authority. We will soon send a letter to the government seeking clarification on the matter,” said an official.
Meanwhile, the taxi drivers’ union has approached the government and MVD seeking urgent action to ensure the strict enforcement of the aggregator policy throughout the state. “Currently, online taxi services, including Uber and Ola are operating unauthorisedly without aggregator policy. It is imperative that measures are taken promptly to address the situation and uphold the standards set forth in the State Motor Vehicle Aggregator Policy,” said Manoj Pallikkunnel, chief patron, Keraleeyam Taxi Drivers Organisation.
The new policy ensures various safety measures for passengers including ensuring appropriate functioning of the GPS installed in the vehicle and providing efficient resolution of any issues that may develop in its functioning. It ensures that the driver plies the vehicle on the route assigned on the app and in case of non-compliance, developing a mechanism wherein the app device indicates the fault to the driver, and the control room of the aggregator immediately communicates with the driver with regard to the same. It also ensures safety of women employees and drivers by introducing mechanisms to protect their rights, in compliance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
The policy also has a mechanism on the app to ensure that the identity of the driver undertaking a trip is same as the one enlisted with the aggregator requiring verification every time a trip is accepted.