No sense to ban cab services, says Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Uber rape case

New Delhi: After Delhi government banned all unregistered Internet-based taxi firms on Tuesday, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said it made no sense to impose a ban and instead regulations need to be improved.

"It doesn't make sense to ban services, tomorrow if something happens in a bus we can't ban that, the system needs to be changed, he said, adding that the system of giving drivers license is faulty and a new digitalised system will be designed where everyone's track record can be viewed," Gadkari said.

The driver, Shiv Kumar Yadav, working with US-based cab service provider Uber, arrested for allegedly raping a 27-year old women executive here, was on Monday sent to three-day police custody by a Delhi court for questioning and recovery of the mobile phone used by him in the offence.

Officials of international taxi-booking service Uber will be questioned by police for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in connection with rape case.

Uber's General Manager (Marketing) Gagan Bhatia, who claims to be the in-charge of the company's India operations, has not been able to provide much information to the police regarding the company's operations and its policies during questioning yesterday.

Police officials have asked him to produce certain documents today.

"We wanted to know the role of the company while it brings the customer and the car driver into contact through its App. What is the liability of the company if the driver commits a crime as in this case. What is the business model, how it works, who are its promoters," said a senior police official.

Sources privy to the investigation said Bhatia could not come up with satisfactory answers to questions posed by cops following which he was asked to produce the documents regarding the operations of the company in India.

"He first told us that there is no country head and he reports to one person who heads its operation at EMEA (Europe-Middle East-Asia).If we don't get satisfactory answers from Bhatia, we may call this EMEA head for questioning," the official said.

He said they have come across gross violations on part of the company in terms of violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and others.

Delhi government came out with a notification that said only six cab services - Easy Cab, Mega Cab, Meru Cab, Chanson Cab, Yo Cab and Air Cab - had the licence to operate radio taxis. The notification was issued soon after Uber had been banned.

According to reports, the Home Ministry wrote to all state governments advising them to ban all unlicensed web-based cabs in their state.