Biometric ID program extends to taxi, bus drivers in Delhi

To ensure the safety of public transit passengers in Delhi, a biometric program that tracks airport taxi drivers will now be extended to bus drivers and other auto operators. The biometric program is part of a larger verification drive that assures drivers are who they say they are.

According to a report by The Hindu, a recent investigation found that out of 1,100 taxi drivers servicing the Delhi airport, about 70 drivers had criminal records against them.  As previously reported in BiometricUpdate.com, the biometric ID card program was put in place in October to stop drivers with criminal records from picking up passengers at the airport.

Now, the biometric ID card program will apply to bus, auto and taxi drivers. The Transport Commissioner of the Delhi Government has issued directions, and will come out with new rules soon.

Prior to this decision, identity cards of bus drivers did not include their photographs and biometrics making the transfer and duplication of the cards easy.

“But now with the photographs and proper verification to be done by the Crime Records Bureau, any kind of duplication would not be possible,” Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna said.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  identification  |  identity management  |  secure identification  |  security