All-women taxi service looks for driving force

A month after the all-women taxi service was launched in the City, the lone operator is faced with the challenge of finding female drivers. 

After the resounding response it received from women who used the service and many more who want to, the operator is now desperately looking for female drivers, at least 20 in number.

“On an average, we get at least four to five calls every day. But due to the shortage of drivers, we have not been able to cater to them, at times. We are currently in the process of adding 10 new vehicles to our fleet. We have started training a few girls for the job,” says Surya, the taxi operator.

Candid

The operator is candid enough to admit that all is not well with the service. 

“The drivers we have are mostly from the weaker sections of society and are not well-versed with the areas and addresses. It gets difficult for them and the customers. Many times, our customers do get irritated when the driver struggles to take them to the right address. So, the first thing that we tell our customers is to be a little patient with our drivers since the girls are young,” Surya said.

Coming to the safety aspect, Surya said, “Currently, the girls are being taught yoga and martial arts for their safety. The girls have been imparted training to identify genuine customers by their behaviour and to verify the addresses.”

As of now, the taxis mostly operate in the southern parts of the City like Banashankari, Basavanagudi. 

They also ferry passengers to and fro Bengaluru International Airport. Surprisingly, elderly women have outnumbered young women in utilising the cab service.