We are no Uber, we're different, say Radio taxis

The Association of Radio Taxis said that the trust and confidence of people in private cabs have been eroded following the rape case, and passenger safety and security should be given top priority by the all concerned.

Seeking to disassociate themselves from Uber-like services, an apex body of radio taxi operators on Tuesday asked the government to take urgent steps to regulate unlicensed app-based cabs to ensure passenger safety in the wake of the rape of a woman allegedly by a driver.

The Association of Radio Taxis said that the trust and confidence of people in private cabs have been eroded following the rape case, and passenger safety and security should be given top priority by the all concerned.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the Association President Kunal Lalani said they are running licensed services, unlike app-based services like Uber.

"An impression is being created that all radio cabs are unsafe. But that is completely false because we are running licensed services in accordance with rules laid down by the state governments," Lalani said.

The Association claimed to represent 13 operators, including Mega Cabs, Easy Cabs, Meru Cabs, Tab Cabs, which run their services in several cities across the country.

A 27-year-old finance executive was raped allegedly by a driver of app-based cab booking service Uber in the city on Friday night which has triggered widespread outrage.

The Association said there are around 19 companies in India operating 25,000 odd cabs together.

As per the association, every radio taxi generates revenue between Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 per month.

"We are asking that there should be a regulation and the all taxis must be regulated. This is the only way we can ensure safety and security and transparency in the business," Lalani said.

The association would also ask its member radio taxi operators to face similar regulations if they are running app-based services through their subsidiaries.

Stating that they are not against the app-based companies, the Association said it has written to state governments ‘to regulate’ those companies who are presently ‘non-licensed’.

Image: Meru Cabs. Photographs: Courtesy, Meru