‘Can’t Drive For Over 12 Hours’: Road Transport Ministry Issues New Guidelines For Ola, Uber Drivers

The road transport ministry has issued new guidelines that prohibit any driver employed with ridesharing companies like Ola and Uber to drive their vehicles for more than 12 hours a day.

This rule applies to individuals contractors even if they are attached to multiple vehicle aggregators, as at least 10 hours of rest should be assured to the drivers, Times of India reports.

The concerned companies will have to formulate a mechanism for this purpose too. According to the new instructions, the drivers will have to undergo a five-day training program before attaching their vehicles to these platforms.

Moreover, the drivers will be provided with a two-day long refresher training annually whereas the ones with a score of less than 2% from their riders will be put through a “remedial training program”.

The aggregators are tasked to ensure that their driving partners put forward their appropriate identity proof, driving license, minimum experience of at least two years in the field and police verification. They should also not be convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol and any other cognizable offence in the previous three years.

The aggregators have also been asked to ensure installation of vehicle monitoring and tracking system with panic button connected to their control room for live monitoring.