15,000 illegal taxis operate in city

NEW DELHI: A commuter in Delhi, travelling by taxi, pays three times more than what he should pay. Most taxi-drivers however, get away, thanks to the large number of illegal taxis operating from almost all local taxi stands.
A recent report endorsed by the Delhi government, talks of this problem. While yellow-top taxis are just around 3,500 in number, there are are more than 15,000 illegal taxis operating within the city.
‘‘These taxis are the real culprits which fleece passengers.Not bound by any rules, they operate without any chance whatsoever of getting caught,’’ a senior traffic police official said.
The report, prepared by a government-appointed panel, has pointed out that numerous instances of such illegal taxis taking passengers for a ride, have been reported, but no action taken.
The panel found that there were three kinds of vehicles plying illegally as taxis, other than the yellow-top variety. The first variety are those with Delhi numbers. These are usually private cars, being used for commercial purposes.
‘‘This is the largest group of offenders as people find it profitable to let out their cars and operate as hired taxis,’’ said a transport department official.
These cars neither pay any commercial permit fees nor are they bound to have electronic fare meters.
The second category are those with Delhi registration, but with permits to ply as tourist taxis within the country.
‘‘They are not allowed to ply within the city and provide point-to-point transport,’’ the official said.
The third type of vehicles are those with registration plates from states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. ‘‘They come in large numbers and ply within the city,’’ the official said.
The report is scathing: ‘‘In all these instances, there is a clear breach of the law...strict enforcement action is necessary, especially with regard to vehicles from other states plying as taxis within the city.’’
The prosecution figures are dismal: Traffic police has prosecuted 19 taxis for overcharging this year, till June 15. Transport department hasn’t bothered to go for a enforcement drive in the past five years.