City cabbies formulate code of conduct for software professionals while travelling in the night

The kidnap and murder of software engineer Nayna Pujari (27) by a taxi driver and his accomplices last week has compelled Pune's cab drivers to become the moral police.

Security steps
The Maharashtra Cab Driver Owners' Association has formulated some guidelines that they claim will ensure the security of software professionals, especially women travelling late in the night. The guidelines include the inane 'Don't use mobile phones while travelling' , the sexist 'Wear clothes part of Indian culture' and the hilarious 'No English. Speak to the driver only in Marathi or Hindi'.

Nana Kshirsagar, president of the association said, "It is often found out that software professionals request drivers to detour from their route so they carry out a personal errand while coming back from the company. In some cases, we found that they establish relationship with drivers that go beyond friendship." He added, "If the female passengers maintained some kind of decency and limit their conversations with the cab drivers, rapes could be avoided."

Liberty issues
Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe, who has been fighting for security of female employees travelling in the night since the 2007 murder of Jyoti Choudhry said, "I do not understand why somebody should have a say on what women should wear. They have the liberty to wear what they wish to."

Safety measures
Emphasising on the measures that should be taken, she said, "Global Positioning Systems should be installed in all taxis. An agency should keep tabs on the movement of taxis and ensure that if a taxi does not reach its destination on time, the police are contacted."