GPS fitted radio taxi service likely to hit Kashmir roads on New Year
The coming 2022 will have a special gift for the people of Kashmir as the much awaited radio taxi service fitted with GPS is likely to hit the roads in the Valley early in the month of January.
Official sources here said “The Kashmir Valley is likely to get a special gift of Radio Taxi on the New Year,” official sources here said.
They said that the GPS-equipped radio taxi service will be available to people in different parts of the valley, including summer capital Srinagar, early next year.
“Likewise in metropolitan cities Delhi and Mumbai, people in Kashmir will also be able to book taxis on their mobile phones app and avail the service instead of going out to board the vehicle,” he said.
He said that the Jammu and Kashmir Transport Department has also issued a letter of intent (LOI) in this regard to ALA Cabs and Technology Private Limited Company.
Earlier in the year 2012, a GPS-equipped radio service in Kashmir was started in the name of Snow Cabs.
“The previous service was discontinued almost a year after it was started,” they said, adding that the service of ALA Cabs will be mobile app based.
The then government of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had given green signal to the radio taxi service in 2012 under the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.
In the year 2016, the Motor Vehicles Department had given its consent to start radio taxi service from airports and railway stations in Srinagar and Jammu but, two years later, the Transport Department once again invited tenders from interested people to start radio taxi service in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Transport Department has asked ALA Cabs to make the call center, web portal and mobile app fully functional before commencing their services,” they said adding that they have also been asked to prepare 24-hour control room and keep adequate manpower available and have also been directed to make fare rates public and verify the fleet of vehicles.
“The company had approached the government with an aim to provide the service in the Valley and so, they allowed it on a conditional basis,” they said.
“The service operator has been asked to complete all legal and other formalities within three months and it is sure that with the launch of Radio Taxi service, passengers will get a safe and affordable transport facility and the initiative will also create employment opportunities for the youth,” said an official.
