- Women's Commission's tough move for women's safety
- Instructions to States to comply with the Guidelines
- Right of cancellation of travel for women passengers
On Monday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) issued guidelines for the safety of women using app-based cabs. These include a physical panic button, real-time alerts if the vehicle deviates from the designated route, monitoring of prolonged or suspicious stops, and establishment of a 24×7 command and control center by cab service providers.
Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairman of the Commission, said that the purpose of these guidelines is to strengthen the existing security measures at the time of booking, during the journey and after the completion of the journey, as well as to determine liability. This will ensure the safety of women in public places.
Notice to States and Union Territories
Rahatkar further said that the Commission has asked all the states, Union Territories to take appropriate steps including implementing these new guidelines.
The guidelines also emphasize that cab service providers should regularly review safety protocols and standard operating procedures (SOP), provide a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism, refer complaints to law enforcement agencies, and submit periodic reports on compliance and safety measures.
The guidelines state that any unauthorized change made to the driver or vehicle will be properly recorded on the app and treated as a safety issue. This is as per Section 15.4 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. The app must have a mechanism to verify that the driver traveling is the relevant person under this section. Also, as per Section 14.9, a clear and high-resolution photo of the driver is required to be displayed on the app.
NCW Issues Detailed Guidelines to States and UTs for Safety of Women Passengers Using App-Based and Digital Transport Services
— NCW (@NCWIndia) October 5, 2026
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..so women have right to cancel travel
Also, the guidelines for the safety of women passengers using app-based and digital transport services have recommended mechanisms for redressal of complaints within a fixed time frame, verification of the driver and vehicle, and provision of facility to cancel the journey without any penalty if the driver or vehicle information shown on the app does not match the actual information.
While calling for more safety during late night, the guidelines said that cab service providers should develop more effective mechanisms for verification and monitoring of late night drivers. Also, the guidelines further said that measures such as mandatory photo verification of the driver at the start of the journey, measures to take action if the driver is intoxicated, facility to automatically share travel information to trusted contacts if the passenger chooses, monitoring by a more capable command and control center and option to drop off at a safe place at the end of the journey could be included.
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Also, emphasis should be given on safety and gender-sensitivity training for drivers from time to time, the commission said. The guidelines also highlight the need for criminal record checks, police verification and background checks before hiring drivers and at regular intervals thereafter.