Women cabbies in demand

Breaking the popular belief that women make bad drivers, schools, BPOs, working women, tourists and senior citizens are now increasingly seeking the services of women cab drivers.

“Priyadarshini, a project comprising women cab drivers, was launched in Mumbai over a year ago. It is a huge success there. Now, we are getting demands for women drivers across the country,” WCD minister Renuka Chowdhury said.

Sangeeta Dubey, a mother of two school-going daughters, said: “I would any day prefer  a woman driver to drop and pick up my children from school.”

Even retired bureaucrat Kamta Nath would prefer a woman cab driver to ferry him and his wife to hospitals and other places. The ministry in association with non-profit organisations launched project Priyadarshini, which is essentially an all-women cab service ferrying tourists in Mumbai and Delhi.

Priyadarshini breaks stereotypes associated with women. Apart from training in taxi driving, the rivers have also been imparted training in English and are imparted knowledge about the city’s historical sites to cater to tourists. They are well-equipped to handle untoward situations as well,” Chowdhury said.