Prepaid cab service returns at city rly stn after months of commuter hardship

Nagpur: After months of uncertainty, inconvenience and complaints from passengers, taxi services have finally returned to Nagpur railway station with the launch of a prepaid cab facility, ending a prolonged transport crisis that left commuters struggling to find rides upon arrival. For several months, passengers arriving at one of Central India's busiest railway stations were forced to walk nearly 300 metres outside the station premises to hail a cab. The situation turned worse during Nagpur's intense summer heat. Senior citizens, women, families travelling with children and passengers carrying heavy luggage were among those most affected by the absence of taxi services at the station. The relief comes after Central Railway awarded a contract to Bharat Cabs to operate taxi services from the station premises. Following the necessary regulatory clearances, the company has now commenced operations through a prepaid taxi system. A dedicated prepaid taxi booth has been established near the exit on the west side of the railway station, enabling passengers to book cabs immediately after disembarking. The service, however, did not start immediately after the contract was awarded. Bharat Cabs secured the railway contract a few months ago but was unable to begin operations due to the lack of an aggregator licence. Since Maharashtra is yet to finalise its aggregator policy governing app-based taxi operators, the company didn't receive permission to function as a cab aggregator.Speaking to TOI, RTO (City) Kiran Bidkar said that Bharat Cabs has been given the nod to operate as a prepaid taxi as it has been given a contract by the railways. "Since aggregator policy has not been framed in the state, we cannot give them a licence for the same. So, the nod for prepaid taxi service was given to the company in the last Regional Transport Authority meeting headed by the district collector," said Bidkar. Senior DCM of Central Railway Aman Mittal also confirmed that the service has been made operational. Under the new system, passengers can approach the prepaid taxi booth, scan a QR code and enter their destination. The system then displays the fare approved by the RTA. After making the payment at the counter, passengers receive a receipt that can be presented to the driver before commencing the journey.Operators of Bharat Cabs said fares are being charged strictly according to RTA-approved rates. While they declined to disclose the number of taxis currently attached to the service, they assured that adequate vehicles would be available to meet passenger demand. They also indicated that independent cab operators are welcome to join the Bharat Cabs network.Although other app-based cab aggregators are still not permitted to operate from within the station premises, the introduction of the prepaid taxi service marks a significant improvement in passenger convenience. Box:How to Book a Prepaid Cab at Nagpur Railway Station* Go to the prepaid taxi booth near the west-side exit* Scan the QR code at the counter* Enter your destination* Check the fare* Pay the fare shown at the counter* Collect the receipt and board the assigned cab