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Safety in app-based taxi under SC lens

Last Updated 12 October 2017, 20:02 IST

The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to examine the issue of women’s safety in app-based taxis and other public transport systems.

After being told that the regulation of internet-based taxi operators and other public transport systems was criticial in the view of December 16, 2012 incident of gang-rape in a moving bus in Delhi, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta agreed to look into the matter.

“The issue of regulating public transport, including internet-based taxi services, will be taken up on December 7, 2017,” the bench said.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, assisting as amicus curiae, contended that none of the internet-based taxi operators has its offices in the country.

“Those having offices are only for name-sake and there is no data available in this regard. In London, one of the prominent operators has been banned. We need some regulations here,” she said.

The counsel, appearing on a petition filed by advocate Nipun Saxena after the infamous Delhi gang-rape case, also raised the issue of victim compensation in sexual offences and acid attacks, saying there should be a uniform scheme in all states.

She also sought direction for setting up a sex offenders’ registry, mandatory reporting in such offences and in preparing media guidelines.

The court directed Alok Agrawal, member secretary, National Legal Services Authority to set up a committee that can prepare model rules for compensation for sexual offences and acid attacks.

Jaising also sought direction to the trial court in Chandigarh to dispense with the recording of the statement of a 10-year-old rape victim who recently gave birth to a boy, in view of her formal statement and DNA reports indicting her uncle. The court declined this request.

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(Published 12 October 2017, 20:02 IST)

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