Agra: Babita Chauhan, the head of the State Women’s Commission of Uttar Pradesh State, has suggested that all passenger vehicles operating by private players or caba and Uber, all passenger vehicles operating by cab aggregators should showcase details of their drivers such as names, mobile number and identity card information on car seats for the safety of women passengers.
It comes months after her offer, that male tailor should not be allowed to take measures of women and male gym or yoga trainers, women should not train, spark Controversy,
Chauhan said that he has now written to the state tourism minister Javer Singh that the state should paste the full details of the driver either through private players or through the driver like Ola and Uber – such as their names, mobile numbers, permanent addresses, identity card information and driver’s seat, which appear to be the backward side of the seat.
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Babita Chauhan said at the circuit house in agriculture on Tuesday, “When a woman sits in a cab or auto, she has the right to know that she has the right to drive, and she has any problem.
He also said that this suggestion is not the result of any principle or paper discussion, but the decision taken after an uncomfortable position experienced by a woman during a Varanasi tour. He said, “This rule was present earlier, but now it will be strictly monitored and implemented,” she said, the Women’s Commission will monitor it seriously.
Speaking to ThePrint, Babita Chauhan said that the proposal has now been sent to police and transport departments for review, and comprehensive guidelines related to it will be issued soon.
If it is implemented in coordination between the State Government, Women’s Commission and the Department of Transport, it can become a model for other states of the country, he said.
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Safety vs privacy
While this proposal has been appreciated by many social workers and women’s organizations, legal experts have also indicated some practical challenges about its implementation.
Senior advocate Mukul Kumar said, “This is a commendable and time initiative that takes the spirit of insecurity among women passengers seriously.” But he insisted that there is a need to take care of some technical and legal aspects related to it.
He said, “App-based services like Ola and Uber have already have security facilities like SOS button, full driver information, vehicle number, real-time tracking and trip-sharing. Women can already share this information with their family members,” he said.
Kumar also expressed concern that pasting the entire address of the driver and permanent card information inside the vehicle can cause problems such as doxing, where one can misuse this personal information.
He said, “Keeping the safety of women paramount, it is also important that we protect the privacy rights of the drivers. Just because someone is in public service, it does not mean that all their personal information should also be available publicly,” he said.
He suggested that this information should be available in digital form with the Transport Department and the police, which can be accessed by passengers or officials if necessary.
He also suggested the use of a standalone ‘panic button’ app that may link to the nearest police station or 1090 helpline in case of crisis. “While this female will ensure safety of passengers, it will also protect the privacy rights of the drivers,” he said.
Broadly, however, this initiative is being seen as a strong step towards making women favorable in the state.
Social activist Rajkumar Nagrath said that if implemented in a balanced manner, this step will not only promote the trust of women passengers, but will also fix the accountability of transport providers and drivers.
(Edited by Ajit Tiwari)
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