No decision yet on enforcing taxi rooftop indicator plan

It has been almost two years since the state government announced that taxis will have to be installed with signboards on their roof indicating that the cab is available for hire or not. A final decision on this is yet to be taken.

These rooftop indicators show if a taxi is available 'For Hire' or is 'Hired' from a distance, akin to those with the phone taxi fleet operators as well as the ones fitted on taxis worldwide.

Transport department officials were swift enough in ensuring that electronic meters were fitted in in all autorickshaws and taxis, but they are yet implement the rooftop indicator plan.

Taxi unions had opposed it saying an indicator is priced anywhere between Rs3,000 and Rs5,500 and, hence, is expensive for the vehicle owners to install given their limited income. Whenever it is made compulsory, the owners are most likely to opt for the cheapest of the lot.

On being asked when a notification will be issued to make it mandatory for cabbies to sport a taxi top indicator, a senior transport department official said, "We can't say for sure as of now."

However, once the notification is issued, a taxi will not get the annual fitness certificate from the regional transport office if it doesn't have an indicator on top.