Amid rising concerns among women about hailing radio cabs, especially in the backdrop of the rape of a 28-year-old woman executive allegedly by an Uber cab driver, a city-based taxi service has been winning the trust of its customers for the past seven years.
Priyadarshini Taxi Services (PTS), a 25-vehicle fleet, has only women as drivers and has managed to create a loyal band of clients.
"I find it extremely safe to travel in the cabs driven by these women. While other fleet cab services may not turn up on time, with Priyadarshini I receive timely services," said Chowpatty resident Shirin Batliwala. A professional in hospitality business, the 60-year-old often travels out of city for work. While taking flights at odd hours, she relies only on Priyadarshini.
Many fleet taxi services, including Uber, operate on 'tourist permit,' in the city. Susieben Shah, managing director of PTS said, "These operators do not acquire taxi permits from the transport department. However, we follow all rules. We have a call centre number that a passenger can contact in case of distress. Moreover, the GPS tracking device is installed in our vehicles and not on the driver's mobile phone."
Dressed in shirt and trousers, 30-year-old Sumayya Pathan with short cropped hair appears tomboyish. She has been with PTS for past five years and has been trained in communications skills, self-defence techniques, yoga, car maintenance, basic accounting and first-aid. "I am happy that I'm self-sufficient. I pay a commission of Rs 800 every day to the company and earn over Rs 20,000 a month over and above that. I drive up to 15 hours a day."
Shah said they plan to scale up to 200 vehicles in the next year. "Most auto finance companies give loans only if a company adds about a hundred vehicles a month to its fleet. Since PTS is a all-women fleet, drivers are hard to come by. We plan to add up to ten vehicles a month. The finance companies should understand that we are creating a social impact with this initiative. They should support us rather than viewing the prospect only through the lens of profitability."
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