Look who’s driving your taxi!

Swati Rai

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So, who has ridden a cab with a lady behind the wheels?” This straw poll on my social media account yielded quite a catch.

Almost everyone I knew had taken a cab with a woman driver in charge. I was surprised, but with passenger safety and client satisfaction a major concern for all cab service providers along with the will to empower women, most companies are, it turns out, opening up to hiring women drivers. And this bodes well, not just for the passengers, but for these women as well.

Twenty three-year-old Poonam works with Uber. A single mother of a five-year-old, she found herself without any source of income after separating from her husband. “In my state, Haryana, women are considered lesser beings. I had to fight my way to come till here, all for my daughter and her future,” she says.

Ask her how have Delhi roads treated her and she says so far, so good. “Till now I have had no problems even though I ferry male passengers too. In fact, people appreciate the fact that I am driving a cab in the city. And now I have support from my mother too,” says Poonam. She learnt driving four years ago and has been driving her SUV with the company for two months now.

If for Poonam it was about providing a better future for her daughter, for Delhi-based BA-II student Zamarud Parveen, driving with Uber is for her own good. She drives the cab through the week and attends correspondence classes at the weekend. “This way, I sustain my academics financially and am independent too!” she beams.

While the girls revel in their newfound liberty, Satyawati is an old hand. A single mother of two, she has been driving for past seven years. She learned driving in my friend’s car and is now in love with the madness of Delhi roads. “I am happy that I have been able to create a good life for myself and my children,” she says.

While women drivers on roads are not a new trend, their numbers certainly are. Some credit for it also goes to cab service providers, who facilitate inclusion of this growing tribe of female drivers. Meru Eve, which is a cab service by the women, for the women, is one of them. Also symbolic are the hints of pink in the uniforms and in their cabs for them to be easily identifiable.

Cab companies say it makes sense for them too. “Our platform empowers women and encourages their participation by giving them an equal opportunity. They are entitled to the same rigorous training, support and benefits. That’s precisely how we empower them to turn entrepreneurs. Some women have joined us as driver-partners — both on cabs and auto rickshaws — and others as operators, who own a fleet of cars and employ both men and women to drive them. We see their number grow by over 40% in the recent quarter and that is very encouraging,” Ola’s spokesperson shares.

Bengaluru-based Ganga Reddy Venkataappa (36) is one such Ola cab driver. After working as a teacher for 15 years, Ganga decided to quit her job and follow her passion for driving. “Self-reliance and flexible work timings” is what she likes about her job. Also, she is able to earn much more than before and, at the same time, is able to manage things at home and spend time with family.

After the death of her husband, 42-year-old Pinky found herself struggling to fend for her family. Today, she has been able to ensure good education for her three children. Pinky takes pride in being a driver with Ola and often finds herself encouraging other women to take charge of their lives rather than succumbing to circumstances. A woman’s gain is everybody’s gain.