National News : The National Commission for Women (NCW) has released detailed guidelines for states and union territories on safety of women in mobile cabs, autos, bike taxis and other digital transport services. The Commission has directed the Chief Secretaries of the States to take necessary steps for implementation of these guidelines.

The NCW has emphasized the need to strengthen security measures to address complaints such as driver and vehicle identification errors, diversions, misbehaviour, harassment, stalking, unsafe drop-offs and emergency delays. The NCW recommends appointing a nodal officer from the transport department in the states and improving coordination between the transport department, RTOs, police and app-based mobility companies.

Driver and vehicle identification required

The driver and vehicle information displayed on the app in the guide must match the actual driver and vehicle. In case of identity errors, passengers should be given the option to cancel the ride without any cancellation charges. Police checks and criminal background checks are also recommended for drivers, along with periodic rechecks.

Extra safety during night travel

For women traveling at night, emphasis has been placed on driver photo verification, driver intoxication check, automatic sharing of ride information with trusted contacts on consent of passengers and safe drop. It is also recommended that women choose a female driver in the app based on availability and feasibility.

Route change warnings

Aggregators have been asked to develop a technological system that detects significant or suspicious deviations from the intended route and provides real-time alerts to passengers and the company. A system should also be put in place to initiate safety checks in case of prolonged stops or suspicious vehicle movements.

Recommended for SOS response within 60 seconds

Every aggregator should have a 24×7 command and control center that monitors SOS and emergency alerts. As an additional recommendation, NCW has suggested a standard response time of 60 seconds for SOS alerts. It is also recommended that every cab should provide a physical SOS button within easy reach of passengers.

No unsafe drop-offs

Drivers should avoid dropping female passengers in unsafe, deserted or unauthorized places. Generally, rides must end at the location selected by the passenger on the app. Extra caution is advised especially for women traveling alone at night.

Emphasis on grievance redressal

A time-bound grievance redressal system has been recommended for complaints involving women passengers, such as ill-treatment, harassment, assault, route diversion, unauthorized driver or vehicle change and failure to respond to emergencies. This includes confirming complaints within two hours and resolving them within 72 hours. Serious cases should be referred to the police and relevant electronic evidence should be preserved for at least 180 days.

In addition, aggregators have been advised to preserve electronic evidence such as travel booking records, driver-vehicle information and location data, regularly review security incidents and periodically modify their security protocols and SOPs.