“We are having a dangerous Adjustment Culture, that’s the problem”…..

                                           The HRTC Taxi service was started in 2007-08. The sole purpose of starting this kind of service was to facilitate the senior citizens, children and the physically disabled persons. But this service is not working in a way for that it was started. Here is some points of the conversation between Dharam Prakash and the Divisional Manager, HRTC, Shimla Mr. H.K.Gupta:

What was the need of starting this kind of service by the dept.?

This service was started in 2007-08 to provide a facility for a particular group of people in the city. The main purpose of starting this service was to facilitate the senior citizens, children and physically disabled persons. Those who find it hard to walk by the age effect or the physical disability can have the benefit of this service.

But the reports are saying that senior citizens are not satisfied with the service. They are not having the special preference to use this service. Why?

People are not well aware by the law and the rules. There is a lack of humanity in the people too. The whole taxi is reserved for the senior citizens and the physically disabled persons but people are not ready to follow this rule. We can’t provide taxi service to every place in the city. For that there are buses. The taxi service is for those who need it, not for everyone. This is not for the able body persons. And now honorable high court has interfered in the matter. It has cleared that no able body should use this facility. On 4th of August, all the Taxi Operators will be present in the high court to ensure that no sitting capacity will be violated in the taxis, there will be no over speeding and the preference class would be using it. Actually, law enforcement depends on the mind set of the public.

                   Maximum people have stopped using there own car because of this service. We are not only facilitating the needful persons but also we are also trying to minimize the traffic problem by providing the cheaper taxi service to the people.

                   We are trying to adopt the GPS or Vehicle Tracking System so that the moment of the vehicle for last 90 days will be recorded on the website. The speed of the vehicle will be controlled by the net. If there would be any over speeding then an auto text massage will be sent to the police by the server and his permit will be cancelled.

Don’t you think that there should be a defined particular age group for the people who can use this service?

The age group is already defined. Anybody above 60 by age is a senior citizen, below 10 is a child and a physically disabled person is in the preferential class. The able body is not in the preferential class. We should create a sense of pride in the people.

How many taxis are running by the dept. at present under this taxi service?

The taxis are being run in a Public Private Partnership mode.

We have the regulation and the permit of the vehicle but the operation, maintenance and the revenue is up to the private operators. Currently there are 21 taxis on road under this department. We have called up for the tenders to select the operators and selected the best bids.

What is the impact of the taxi service on the gross revenue or the HRTC dept. which is always under loss?

The profit is not the motive of the service. We are providing the facility to the general public. Any hospital is never asked about the revenue so why the Road Transport is measured with its revenue. The standard of the transport should be improved and standardized. The HRTC Taxi service serves about 7500 people a day. The municipal committee of Shimla should construct the sheds on the Taxi stoppages and should use the advertisements through LCDs. The municipal committee can have a great amount of the revenue through these advertisements. The taxi scheme is giving rupees 70 lacs per annum to the department.

People are not following the rules. They are having a lack of the humanity. Fighting and disturbance between the drivers and the passengers are the common cases. Why are people feeling so free to break the rules and they have no fear of law?

People have a lack of humanity. They should change their mind set. And should protest against the law breakers. If there is any misbehaving by any person, it should be protested. If no one will raise the voice against the law breakers than they will be motivated to violet the rules.

There are some cases of overcharging in the taxis. What actions the department is taking against the overcharging?

We do not have even a single case of overcharging. We have decided the rates Rs. 10 and Rs. 15. If any case of overcharging is found then we’ll cancel the permit of the vehicle.

People are complaining about the overloading problem and on Jakhu and Navbahar route of taxis, people are demanding for the new extra taxis. Is the department in a position to start a new service to the so called places?

Taxis are for the needful persons. Not for an able body person. The so called problems are complaint by the normal persons, not by the senior citizens or the physically disabled persons. Starting new taxis is good but for the needful persons, not for the common public. And on the so called places, we do not think there is any need of any taxi service; there are buses for this purpose.

To minimize the problem of over loading, has the dept. made any sudden check or anything like this?

Yes, we often made sudden check for the overloading but the problem is, we have a dangerous adjustment culture in the city. People don’t deny the over loading and later on themselves criticize this. People should change their mind and start protesting against the overloading and also against over speeding.

What are your suggestions to improve the functioning of the HRTC Taxi Service?

The preference should be given to the person for whom a particular scheme is designed. Everyone should know his right and fight for the right. It’s not the system which is defected but the public who is not protesting for its right.