Code of conduct must for taxi drivers: Experts

A code of conduct is a must for taxi drivers for providing quality and safe services to the customers, experts said today.
Participating in a national conference on 'Safer and Convenient Taxi Operations in India', organised by Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) in association with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, experts stressed on the need to develop codes of practice for safe taxi operations.
'Safer Roads, Safer You' is a unique initiative from Goodyear India Ltd and has contributed positively to road safety management, experts said.
The programme supported individual, small, medium and large taxi fleet owners and aggregators in their efforts to strengthen the safety and efficiency of their cab services, a statement said.

The keynote speaker, Sanjay Beniwal, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police- Women Safety, Airport and Modernization, Delhi stressed on the need for safer taxi operations.
Trevor Wedge, Former Chief - Driver Standards Agency, United Kingdom, while chairing the session on 'Code of Practice for Taxi Driver Training and Licensing' stated that "a code of conduct is a must to set minimum taxi industry protocol and standards of customer service".
"Taxi operations are on the rise and have become a critical part of public transport. It is vital to not only ensure a safe, comfortable and quality ride for the public while taking care of the needs of women, elderly and differently abled, but also to make sure that drivers are treated with equal respect and dignity," said Rohit Baluja, President, the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE).

The IRTE has trained over 670,000 drivers over the last 15 years and its Department of Driver Training has extensively researched the development of the training modules for different stakeholders.