Women at the wheel of govt vehicles soon

Soon women drivers trained by the NDMC will be seen driving government vehicles. The New Delhi Municipal Council has recently wrote to the Centre to support the all-women cab services initiative.

Following this, the Ministry of Women and Child Development wrote to all departments under the Centre to promote the women drivers.

The council has so far got positive responses from Chhattisgarh Bhawan, Madhya Pradesh Bhawan, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Tourism Department and Postal Department.
“It would be helpful if your Ministry/Department would call for proposals from vehicle suppliers for supply of vehicles specifying that they will operate in part or in full by the trained women partners, including those trained by the NDMC,” mentions the letter issued by the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The services can be availed by the different departments either on an annual basis or based on requirements, the department has proposed. This will also increase the visibility of women in such services.

Currently, there are seven women drivers trained by the council who have procured commercial licences.  “There is an immediate need to engage the seven women who already hold the commercial licences. It is difficult to mobilise women to join as cab drivers. If the first batch of commercial licence-holders are placed well, it will be easier to set an example for the next batch as well,” said Vidushi Chaturvedi, Director, Education, NDMC.

Currently, 40 more women are being trained as drivers in the council’s technical institute. In the first phase, the council is trying to engage the women in cabs with women as passengers.
The council announced its ambitious plan to launch an all-women taxi fleet which would have a capacity to employ till 20 women cab drivers. There was no plan to involve a third party in the project initially.

However, there has been no progress with the launch so far. “Procuring vehicles is and running a full-fledged taxi service is a part of the long-term project. But it will be some time before we are able to launch the taxi fleet,” said a senior official.