Hotels must provide space for cab drivers too

Whether it’s scorching heat or biting cold, cab drivers make people’s journeys quite easy, but many times, due to the need to stay in hotels or lodges for guests, drivers also have to stay there. Since there is no arrangement for drivers to stop or sleep, they often have to sleep in their cabs.

To alleviate this problem for drivers, the Tamil Nadu government has taken an important step. Under this, it has now become mandatory to provide hostel facilities for drivers of vehicles who stay with guests in hotels and lodges at night. This means cab drivers will no longer have to spend the night in their vehicles.

The Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Department, along with the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building (TNCDB) Rules, 2019, has been amended. As part of this, a government order was also issued on June 28, 2023. Under this, hotels and lodges where guests stay will be required to provide facilities like student hostels for the drivers of their vehicles. The objective of the new rules is to provide sufficient rest to drivers before they resume their work for the next day. It is also necessary to ensure that the drivers get adequate sleep.

Facilities to be provided
The state government has amended the rules and stated that hotels and lodges should make arrangements for special accommodations for the drivers of guests. Not only that, there should be enough space for movement and roaming around the bed. Additionally, there should be a separate restroom and a bathroom for every eight beds. Under the new rules, the sleeping arrangements should be within the hotel or lodge premises or within a radius of approximately 250 meters.