‘She Taxis’ to ensure safe travel for women on Kerala roads
trivandrum — After women-operated autorickshaws, Kerala is set to introduce 24x7 taxi service owned and operated by women to ensure the safety of women travellers.
Christened ‘She Taxi’, the first of its kind service has been initiated by the Gender Park which was set up recently by the Department of Social Justice to unify all activities in the state aimed at achieving gender equity.
The pilot service is scheduled to be launched in the state capital of Trivandrum on November 19 with an initial fleet of five cars. This will be scaled up to 100 within the next three months and then rolled out to other cities like Cochin and Calicut. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is partnering with the Gender Park as the official supplier of the customised pink and white ‘She Taxi’ cabs, which will be fitted with the best available automobile technology including GPS, precision metering systems and personal and emergency alert systems.
The carmaker will also help provide training to women drivers at the Maruti Driving School. The Gender Park will identify the beneficiaries and assist the women in securing low-interest loans from the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation. It will also arrange for health insurance and provide self-defence training for the women drivers.
The fleet operations and marketing will be handled by Technopark-based Rain Concert Tech- nologies Ltd which is setting up a 24-hour call centre for the purpose. The taxis will have round- the-clock access to the control room and they will be monitored and assisted by the police.
State Minister for Social Justice Dr M.K. Muneer said the service will be a safe and reliable mode of travel for women on the move. The ‘She Taxi’ is not just for security of women but also for promoting entrepreneurship and selfemployment among the women.
PT M. Sunish, the CEO of Gender Park, said the business model has been developed by them with the objective of ensuring Rs20,000 a month to the women entrepreneurs. The income will come from eight hours operation a day for 22 days a month.
The Gender Park is also thinking of maximising revenues through adverts on the sides of the cars, in-car LCD systems for streaming ads and so on. “We like more women to come forward to take up the entrepreneurial oppor- tunity. With so many women travelling singly for business, professional and personal needs and the current concerns about their safety, we believe there is a huge market for women-operated cab services,” Sunish said.
“It is also very empowering for a woman to strike out into a business dominated by men. We see that in the extraordinary, self-confident women drivers who have signed up to be part of our pilot service.”
The She Taxis will initially carry only women passengers travelling by themselves, in groups or accompanying families.
The Gender Park hopes that as attitudes change and the womendriven cabs find their social space, the service will be extended to everyone.