First TaxiForSure and now Uber: within the space of a few weeks, two of the leading online taxi service providers in India have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. It seems like a consumer had a similar harrowing experience with Olacabs Delhi as well. These taxi booking services initially became popular in the country due to the efficiency of service & consumer safety. What many of us hadn’t pondered much about is that both of these parameters are directly connected to the cab driver. Medianama spoke with TaxiForSure, Olacabs & Uber to understand how these companies vet drivers before they are brought onboard, and what actions are taken against drivers in case of distressing situations for consumers. Driver Selection TaxiForSure: TaxiForSure co-founder & director Aprameya Radhakrishna said that they work directly with operators or taxi fleets who ensure that certain formalities and background checks are conducted before a driver is signed up. These include Police verification, Medical check-up, Document verification (Driving license, Vehicle papers, RC, Vehicle insurance, Taxi permit papers), and Pollution under control certificate (PUC). The company internally maintains a record of these documents and reminds drivers or operators in case taxi permits are up for renewal or pollution control certificates are nearing expiry, among others. Olacabs: Ola didn't disclose any specific information on this, but told that they ensure that the partner driver who is using their software passes the compliance check of his (KYC) personal & professional papers. Ola also mentioned that every ride is tracked and…
