Meet city’s first woman bike-taxi driver Kanta

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 3

Driven by the aim of providing her children with good education and a better lifestyle, a 34-year-old woman, Kanta Chauhan’s search for a job has led her to a job of a taxi driver and also rendered her to become the first bike taxi driver here.

She says she took up the job to earn for her family and at the same time to become self-independent. Content with her job she took up on Tuesday, she said it was her first job and rejoiced in the fact that she could also get to look after her two children, aged 5 and 10, because of the flexible working hours.

Kanta, a resident of Pratap Bagh, worked as a home tutor before this and was simultaneously on the lookout for another job. When I discovered bike-taxi driving as a job alternative, I immediately searched for companies in the city who could fulfil my new-found desire to become a taxi-driver. Finally, I managed to secure an interview appointment at Rapido bike taxi services. Managers of the company to suspend their disbelief asked me twice if I have thought through my decision to take up the job. Their astounded reactions conveyed their belief that they found it impossible for a woman to be up and about to take up a job of such nature. However, when they found out that I possess LMV license, they instantly offered the job to me and I started working on the same day,” said Kanta.

Fearless Kanta ferries her passengers around the city. She is now familiar to meeting with stunned and curious glances that she receives from her passengers and passerby. Proudly wearing her helmet, she says, adulation and inspiring words from her passengers has enriched her confidence. She is deemed as a source of inspiration among many others.

“One woman passenger even hugged me before starting her ride on my scooter,” said Kanta.

She also credited her mother, the late Amar Kaur, who always told her to never be afraid of making unconventional choices. Her husband also motivated her to take up the job. He, too, is an auto-rickshaw driver.

Kanta works for about 4-5 hours daily and has ferried over 50-60 passengers in the last three days.