Section 262 in The West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
262. Taxi-meters.
(1)No motor car shall be used as a motor cab in the [Kolkata] [Substituted vide section 5 of the West Bengal Capital City (Change of Name) Act, 2001 (West Bengal Act 18 of 2001) (w.r.e.f. 1.1.2001) for the word 'Calcutta'.] Metropolitan District or within the limits of the Municipal Corporation of Howrah and Bally Municipality in the district of Howrah or within the erstwhile limits of the Garden Reach and South Suburban Municipalities in the district of 24-Parganas (South) now within the [Kolkata] [Substituted vide section 5 of the West Bengal Capital City (Change of Name) Act, 2001 (West Bengal Act 18 of 2001) (w.r.e.f. 1.1.2001) for the word 'Calcutta'.] Municipal Corporation or within the Asansol Sub-division in the district of Burdwan or within the municipal limits in the district of Hooghly except Arambagh, unless it is fitted with an approved taxi-meter or other mechanical device for automatically and visibly registering on each occasion the fare to be charged according to the rates for distance or time or a combination of distance and time. The taxi-meter shall be fitted to and operated from a propelling shaft or gear box as may be approved by the Registering Authority. Every taxi-meter when in use shall be locked and sealed, so that it may not be tampered with :Provided that the State Government if.it is satisfied that it is necessary so to do in the public interest, may, by order exempt, on such condition as may be specified therein, any motor cab from the operation of sub-rule (1) on a specified occasion or specified occasions or for a specified period.(2)Every such taxi-meter shall be equipped with -(i)an indicator or handle in the form of a flag fitted to the taxi meter and on which shall be printed the words ''for hire"; or(ii)an indicator connected with the taxi-meter by any device, electrical or otherwise, which when operated. shall display the words "for hire" or "hired".(3)The taxi-meter shall be so constructed that when the indicator is vertical or displays the words 'for hire", as the case may be, the taxi-meter shall be out of action. Such taxi-meter shall be so placed as to be clearly visible to any person outside or in front of the vehicle and to the hirer inside. The vertical position of the indicator flag or the indicator showing the words for hire' shall indicate that the vehicle is available for hire.(4)Any owner, driver, attendant or other person who shall break or in any way tamper with the seal placed on the taxi-meter or the driving mechanism thereof, or who shall with intent to deceive, tamper with the taxi-meter or the driving mechanism thereof, shall be deemed to have committed a breach of this rule.
