Rickshaws in the Indian capital New Delhi are to be fitted with satellite navigation devices in the hope they will reduce disputes between commuters who complain of dishonesty and the drivers who claim they work long hours for poverty wages.
From next week GPS devices will be installed in 25 three-wheelers in the city but by the end of July they are expected to be mandatory for the rest of the city’s 55,000 rickshaws.
The BBC reports that the devices will be connected to a government server which will track journeys and allow officials and passengers to check whether they are taking the shortest routes.
The rickshaws will also be fitted with a panic button to allow women to raise the alarm and call the police if they are harassed.
The rickshaw-wallahs have resisted the government’s plans because the cost amounted to more than two month’s wages, but officials have offered them the option to rent SatNav for a smaller monthly fee.
