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Plan to introduce database cab services at airport

chalked out

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Brigadier Tariq Mahmood, Director, Quaid-e-Azam International Airport (QIAP) has said on Monday that it has been decided to introduce a data base Airport Cab Services, exclusively for domestic and international passengers from February 25, 2000 in order to crush the taxi mafia at the airport.

After presiding over a high level meeting attended by DIG, Traffic and Highways, Sindh, Secretary Regional Transport Authority and representatives of the Pakistan Yellow Cab Federation (PYCF) and Taxi Owners Association, the QIAP, director said that a comprehensive programme to curb this menace once for all, had finally been chalked out.

Giving the details of the programme, he said that the PYCF would register all taxis intending to ply exclusively on airport. All such taxis would be given registration stickers after a joint examination of the vehicle by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the traffic police. Taxis without luggage career at the roof would not be accepted for registration, he added.

He also said it would be binding on all registered taxis to charge the passengers according to the meter. Moreover, no taxi would be allowed to refuse any passenger. The idea was to ensure a hassle-free transportation to each and every passenger, he added.

Brig Mahmood said that unregistered taxis would not be allowed to operate on this section so that the entire taxi operation from Level One at the Jinnah Terminal could be monitored and is case of any complaint and mishap the driver could be traced.

Explaining this point further he said that the PYCF had been asked to give a code number to every registered taxi and install a data base system so that the track record of all the registered taxi drivers could be retrieved whenever required.

On the other hand he said that passengers requiring taxi would have to contact the Airport Cab Services counter. The attendant present there would give him a chit containing relevant details about the taxi, which he would show to the first cab on the row, and without any hassle ride on it.

Tariq Mahmood also said that the traffic police and the CAA would conduct random checks to ensure that the system introduced was working properly and passengers were getting taxis without any problem.