Rules be framed quickly: Experts

NEW DELHI: Motorbike taxis need to come under a regulatory mechanism and the state government must quickly formulate rules on this mode of transport to discourage people from buying personal vehicles, said experts responding to Delhi government's transport department halting the operations of two-wheeler cabs in Delhi.
Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council on Clean Transport, said regulations were playing catch up with innovation across the world."The regulatory mechanism has to be developed quickly so that new transport development and business models can be bought under the regulatory framework," said Bhatt. "These bike taxis are mushrooming, which indicates the demand for such a mode. But there are genuine safety and security concerns. So, stopping them is not a long-term solution. It can also lead to more people buying personal vehicles."
PK Sarkar, former head, transport planning, School of Planning Architecture, said app-based cab aggregators tended not to adhere to rules. "There are complaints of their not being on time, cancelling the rides, charging more during emergencies," Sarkar said. "There should be a mechanism in place with ride details registered on a government system. If there is a complaint, there is then a regulatory mechanism to ensure action."
The need for any transport mode to come under regulation was also reiterated by Shreya Gadepalli, urban mobility expert and founder of UrbanWorks. She pointed out that these bike taxis were popular because of their low fares and their manoeuvrability in crowded traffic.
Transport officials claimed not to be against the employment opportunities created by bike cabs but such services had to be considered for their safety to users, mainly because the drivers weren't registered with the transport department. "What if there is an accident or other untoward incidents?" asked an official. He added that electric motorbikes could be considered as cabs under a new policy, which is in the drafting stage.