Srinagar, Aug 12: The much-hyped fleet of Radio Taxis inaugurated recently by senior officials including Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon is operating seemingly illegally because the cabs are yet to get requisite registration number plates and passenger permits.
 Simply put the movement of taxis named Snow Cabs is a risk to the lives of people because in case of a mishap, the taxis can run away scot-free.

NO NUMBER PLATES
 The fleet of 50 semi-luxurious taxis inaugurated earlier this month come fitted with GPS facility and audio-visual security, the company people claim. But at the face of it, the vehicles bear no proper registration number plate, something mandatory for a vehicle to ply.
 “It’s illegal to operate a vehicle without proper registration number and when the cab is meant to ferry passengers the same becomes more essential. Otherwise it amounts to criminal offence,” said Advocate Muhammad Suhail.
 The lawyer said some days back his vehicle was about to be hit by a speeding Snow Cab, driving down the Airport Road. “We had a narrow escape. But I couldn’t file any complaint of reckless driving because the vehicle didn’t bear any number plate,” the lawyer argued.
 
NO PASSENGER PERMIT
 Observers said it was mandatory for taxi to have Passenger Permit. “Or else in case of accident, it’s difficult to penalize the driver or the owner of the vehicle or fleet,” said a delegation of taxi operators. “No commercial vehicle can ply without passenger permit,” they added.
 Observers smell a rat in the Radio Taxi affair. “At a time when these vehicles are being hyped as extra secure and hi-tech  they ought have completed the legal formalities as well, in time. But they were given an undue relaxation because of being close to the corridors of power,” said an insider requesting not to be named.

THE IRONY
 Given the fact that the Radio Taxis, though without number plates were inaugurated by the government top brass, complainants said, nobody dares to verify credentials of the Snow Cabs.
 “If an unemployed gets a taxi to earn his livelihood he is grilled and often fined by the traffic cops even on small issues. But no official has dared to penalize the radio taxi operators for brazenly violating norms because they happen to be close to the corridors of power,” alleged a group of taxi operators.
 
PUBLICITY TIMELINE
 Prior to the formal inauguration on August 1, Divisional Commissioner accompanied by Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Ahmad Khan flagged off the Radio Taxi road show at Tankipora on July 10. “The Divisional Commissioner personally monitored the show which started from DC Office, Srinagar, went through New Secretariat, Police Control Room, Bakshi Stadium and concluded at TRC, Nowgam,” an official handout had said.

GOVT PLEADS
 Transport Commissioner Meraj Ahmed Kakroo, however, downplayed the issue. “Nothing went wrong. Basically number plates get deferred till other formalities are completed… But we always provide them with temporary numbers,” Kakroo told Greater Kashmir.
 He however said there was no fault with the Snow Cab people. “They have completed all formalities and also deposited fee in time,” the Transport Commissioner claimed.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 12 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 12 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST