Drunk cab driver menace must be probed

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A woman, 35, died recently, after a kali-peeli taxi rammed into her and hit a parked vehicle in Wadala. The deceased, who worked as a house help, was walking close to a residential complex in Wadala at the time of the incident.

According to a report in this paper, the woman's head was smashed between the two vehicles.

It is further down the report where one comes across an extremely disturbing detail.

Locals claimed that most share taxi drivers on this route are minors, and some of them drive under the influence of drugs.

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They added that a former commissioner of police had addressed this problem when they had met him years ago. The report, however, does not detail how he had addressed it.

These claims need to be checked as soon as possible and if merited, strict action is needed. How can minors be allowed to drive cabs? If this is happening, permits must be checked in order to get to the root of the problem. It must also be determined if a gang is behind the racket. The menace must be stamped out on an absolutely urgent basis, and jail terms should be awarded to those guilty.

Minor or not, if there are persons driving under the influence of drugs, this needs to be checked on priority.

Local cops can arrange a meeting with some citizens who have complained. First of all, it should be found out why this route in particular sees so many offences and whether they are as widespread as locals claim. Punitive action, with quick, non-negotiable action, must then be taken. This is an extremely worrisome scenario. The investigation should be thorough and the action extremely tough.