Passengers' safety at risk as overloaded cabs rule highways

Diwali festivities further fuel the practice; drivers overcharge and overload their cabs to raise their earnings at the cost of passengers' safety and comfort, say commuters

- Sonali. Mistry

Carrying more passengers than the cab designed for has become rampant for some time now in the CTM area – one of the most convenient travel points, offering cab service to Nadiad, Anand, Vadodara and Surat. And Diwali festivities have further fuelled practice, drivers indulge in to raise their earnings at the cost of passengers' safety and comfort. The trend is all the more worrying as receiving immediate medical aid is difficult in the situation of accidents on highways.

Cabs operating on the expressway, including models like Eeco, Tavera, and Honda City, often carry over 8 to 10 passengers, far exceeding their legal seating capacity.