Business / India’s Female Cabbies

India’s Female Cabbies

Business Jan 02, 2015

by Farah Khan

Women Taxi Drivers Help Bring Safety to Female Travellers

India has been one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. Whether it's the stunning Taj Mahal or the many forts and monuments of Jaipur, the natural beauty of Darjeeling and Kerala, the ultimate beach experience of Goa or the spirituality of Kanyakumari’s temples, the country caters to every taste and desire.

Tainting India's good name is the recent spate of sexual attacks against women. After the infamous Nirbhaya bus rape case, many similar incidents have gained international attention, resulting in widespread protests by the Indian public, demanding stricter laws and faster legal proceedings. While the government is taking various steps in an effort to prevent this kind of abuse, budding female entrepreneurs have taken it upon themselves to provide safety and security for female travellers in what promises to be an excellent business venture.

Introducing cab or taxi services run for women, by women! Organizations such as Viira Cabs, Priyadarshini Taxi Service, and She Cabs are providing a decent solution to security concerns for women travelling alone. They also offer economic opportunities for women of low-income families.

The Mumbai-specific Priyadarshini Taxi Service was founded in 2008 by politician and social activist Susieben Shah, whose firm belief in women as fundamental building blocks of society led her to recognize the need to cater to this niche market. This initiative is specifically designed to empower women of low-income families and minorities struggling to make a good living. Women with a family income of less than 10,000 Indian rupees per month are given top priority, and interviews are conducted with candidates as well as their families to ensure they have full family support going into a field that is heavily male-dominated. An extensive three-month free driver training program is offered, made possible with government grants provided by the Women & Child Department.

The Kerala-based She Taxi prides itself as “India’s First Ever Technology-Enabled 24/7 Women Only Taxi.” The service — initiated by the Social Justice Department (Government of Kerala) — has been designed solely for the purpose of providing technologically advanced, safe modes of travel for students, tourists and working women. Upon booking a taxi, the traveller receives a unique identification code via text message, which the traveller can use to confirm the validity of the driver and vehicle that arrives for transport. All cabs come with maps of all emergency response systems in the city, such as police, ambulance, vehicle maintenance, fire services and safe night shelters for women. Any and all alerts are also monitored by a security control room 24/7.

Viira Cabs goes a step beyond just providing safe and reliable transport for women. It uses an eco-friendly green fleet. The organization’s mission is to “promote road safety and green transport systems,” made possible with its use of solely CNG-run vehicles. The 24/7 call centre can help in booking cabs for any duration, whether a short trip, a day or a few days. The air-conditioned cabs also come equipped with Android tablets for live TV and Internet surfing. This is perhaps the most extensive driver training program available for women-only cab services, going above and beyond by giving its drivers invaluable self-defence training. Students also learn vehicle mechanics such as changing tires as well as basic first aid and emergency handling skills.

The recent Uber taxi rape case has emphasized the necessity of public transportation handled entirely by women. Uber has been suspended by the New Delhi government, and the taxi service has promised to reevaluate its screening process after inadequate background checks enabled the rape of a female passenger by one of Uber's drivers.

Segregation is not a permanent or long-term solution. Change needs to happen at the grassroots level, by examining and undoing the considerable damage that a heavily patriarchal society inflicts on its female members. For the time being, however, these taxi services are an excellent initiative with two-fold benefits: allowing women from low-income families to obtain a safe and sustainable source of income and allowing women from all walks of life to feel safe when travelling alone. Indeed, though the causes behind these initiatives are heartwrenching, the silver lining is the foray of Indian women into an industry that has historically been entirely male-driven.

_{Featured Image: Priyadarshani Taxi Service Facebook Page}
_{First Image: shetaxi.in

Second Image: viiracabs.com}

Farah Khan

Author

Farah joined ANOKHI LIFE while finishing up her degree in English Literature and Writing at the University of Toronto. Her position since then has expanded across all departments, everything from office administration and corporate affairs, to ANOKHI's online presence and events. . .

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India’s Female Cabbies

by Farah Khan

Women Taxi Drivers Help Bring Safety to Female Travellers

Farah Khan

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