Government admits taxis in India unsafe, issues advisories for foreign tourists

Truth is stranger than fiction. Indian Government has admitted that taxis in the country are unsafe and has issued a 13-page booklet for foreign tourists, enlisting a slew of advisories.

The booklet-Welcome to India; Tips for Tourists – is being handed to every tourist at immigration counters at major airports in India.
In this booklet, the government has advised tourists to click a photo of the taxi number plate and share it with their near ones. This is under the header-On being safe and secure.

Such a safety tip has never been a part of official advisories before.

Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma told Economic Times, “For safety issues we have started a booklet... (the taxi safety tip) advises tourists to take a picture of taxi number plate when boarding. If the taxi driver resists this, one can simply refuse to take the taxi."

The minister further explained that even if someone damages the mobile phone (of the tourist)...at least the image has gone out.
These advisories come in the back drop of rape and molestation cases, which has hit the Indian tourism. The safety tips are the longest section of the 'Tips for Tourists' booklet.

Not only this, the booklet, which is available at all immigration counters, also advises 'On Clothing'.

The safety tip reads: "Some parts of India, particularly the smaller towns and villages, still have traditional styles of dressing." It also asks tourists to "find out about local customs and traditions from the tourism office".
"Avoid being too familiar with strangers" and "Avoid...going alone late at night" are among other tips for tourists from India's government.

After the alleged rape by driver of an Uber cab hit the headlines, it led to regulatory attention.

Gagan Bhatia, GM, Uber Delhi, gave a detailed response to ET's query. "Over the past six months, we have launched a number of key safety initiatives in India. Those include re-verification of all driver partners with the police, additional background screening with First Advantage, and the establishment of a dedicated local Incident Response Team to handle critical situations," he says.

Bhatia said Uber has announced additional in-app safety upgrades including an in-app 'SOS button' so riders can immediately contact local police and alert the Uber support team to reach out in the rare event of an emergency.

(Image: Indiatimes)