Online cab services given adequate assistance, protection:

The Kerala High Court was today informed by the state DGP that online taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola have been given "adequate assistance and protection" for conducting their services smoothly.
In an affidavit filed before the high court, Loknath Behra said all Inspector Generals of Police have been given "strict directions to provide adequate police protection and assistance for the smooth conduct of" online taxi services throughout the state and also take stringent action against the law breakers and bring them before the law.
"They have also been directed to deploy additional police force at airports, railway stations and bus stands and other places where Uber Cabs, Ola Cabs etc are in operation. They are also directed to deal firmly according to law if any incident of hooliganism comes to notice," he said.

Behra said he has directed IGPs to complete investigation of the crime already registered in this regard and take stringent action against the accused persons in a time-bound manner.
"They have also been warned that if recurrence of such incidents due to non attention of police come to notice, the IGPs concerned will be personally held responsible," it said.
The affidavit was filed pursuant to the court's directive to the state police chief to file a detailed affidavit in response to a contempt of court petition filed by online taxi drivers in Kochi.
In their petition, the online taxi drivers had submitted that the police chief had failed to comply with the earlier court order, which called for providing protection to online taxi operators in the city.