Maharashtra bans Uber taxi services; executive attacked

Maharashtra Government on Wednesday decided to ban Uber internet-based taxi service in the State.

The company has landed in middle of a multi-State investigation and punitive action by State governments after one of the drivers allegedly raped a woman passenger in New Delhi.

Transport Secretary of Maharashtra, SK Sharma, told BusinessLine that upon direction from the Centre, orders have been issued banning the services of Uber. Further course of action will be taken by the Transport Commissioner of Maharashtra, he said.

However sources said that Mahesh Zagade, the Transport Commissioner, in a meeting with the chiefs of the private taxi services has asked them to come with a safety plan by December 31, which should be implemented by January 15, 2015. After that the licences of errant taxi service providers would be cancelled.

His office has also asked taxi service providers to submit a database of all their taxi drivers by Thursday. Meanwhile in a separate incident, Uber’s Finance Manager Shailesh Sawlani was attacked on Wednesday afternoon by supporters of an NGO, which is controlled by a prominent Congress leader.

Eye witness said that Sawlani was summoned to the Transport Commissioner’s office in Mumbai for a meeting.

After the meeting, supporters waiting outside the office accosted and started beating and abusing the executive. Soon policemen stationed at the office rushed to his rescue.

The alleged rape by Uber’s driver also reminds of a similar case in Mumbai, where an engineer was raped and murdered by a taxi driver on January 5.

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