Southern Railway clears route for online taxis

Thiruvananthapuram: Southern Railway on Thursday clarified that no taxi services including those having valid parking permits, have been given any exclusive rights to carry passengers from railway stations falling within its jurisdiction including Trivandrum Central, Ernakulam Town and Ernakulam Junction. A statement issued by the southern railway said the permit fee was collected from taxi cars only for parking. Passengers are advised to contact station manager or deputy station manager (commercial) at the respective railway stations, should a taxi car driver cause a problem.

In the case of autos, passengers can complain to local police or government railway police. It added that autorickshaws operating from prepaid counters too have no exclusive rights to carry passengers either. The southern railway statement comes close on the heels of an attack on the online taxi drivers allegedly by taxi and autorickshaw drivers near the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station on Friday evening in which three persons were injured. 

The tiff started when Shyam, driver with Ola Cabs, parked his vehicle near the station, which was opposed by other taxi drivers. The railway statement said parking permits had been issued to taxi cars at major stations including Trivandrum Central, Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town. Railway had earlier tried to introduce a similar permit system for auto rickshaws too, at Trivandrum, Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town and Aluva stations. But the plan had to be dropped following opposition from various corners.