INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, May 31
Traffic police said they had taken action against 10,787 errant cabbies in Kathmandu valley in the past six
months.
Cabbies facing legal action for violation of traffic rules outnumber the cabs that are registered in the valley as they are repeat
offenders.
Of 10,500 taxis registered with Transport Management Office, around 9,000 are in operation
According to Metropolitan Traffic Division, 10,787 cabbies were booked between December 6 and May 14 for bargaining with passengers on fare,
refusing to supply short distance service, tampering with fare-meters and overcharging.
MTPD stated that 3,000 of the cabbies booked by
traffic cops had refused to turn on fare-meter at the time of service
At least 40 plainclothes traffic police personnel have been deployed to apprehend erring cabbies
Unscrupulous cabbies are mostly found to have cheated people waiting for taxis at hospitals, bus parks, airport and busy thoroughfares of
the city.
Senior Supermeanent of Cop Basant Kumar Pant said traffic cops had also been keeping a shut vigil on taxis that function at night,
as they try to fleece passengers, taking advantage of emergency and non-availability of public vehicles
In measure cases, traffic cops in civvies masquerade as passengers to check how fairly cabbies are carrying out their commerce
SSP Pant urged passengers to lodge a complaint with MTPD whenever they come across fraudulent taxi drivers
He added that the law enforcement agency had continued the crackdown on unethical commerce practices of taxi drivers as a campaign.
&We have
been receiving more complaints from passengers, as traffic cops won their trust by taking action against fraudulent cabbies,& he said.
MTPD
has also stipulated a provision of suspending driving licence of cabbies for violating rules for six times
Anyone who is booked for the sixth time shall face suspension of his/her licence for six months
The provision is a part of making transport service effective and dependable.
Cab drivers who function taxis without turning on fare-meter
are referred to the Transport Management Office for essential action and are fined Rs 2,000 each
Cases of tampering with meter are dealt with by the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology
Such violators are liable to a fine of up to Rs 5,000
Those refusing to travel short distance and overcharging passengers are fined Rs 1,500 each by traffic police.
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