The recent rape incident in New Delhi has made it clear once again that transport and communication for women in India is still a big concern. In the event, a number of cab companies like Priyadarshini, GCabs and She-Taxi are expected to bring out a solution for women and their safe communication at night.
Fleet operators, which are driven by women, are expected to take advantage of the ban imposed on Uber. Incidentally, the driver involved on the recent incident was an employee of Uber, a popular cab provider. Recently, 40 cabs with the pink and white with women drivers were spotted in Kerala. These cabs are expected to take advantage of the recent ban and encourage more such women-driven cabs in India. She-Taxi services are also expected to branch out their services to Delhi and Mumbai, where it is absolutely essential for women to step out at night for their jobs. Other agencies like GCabs as well Priyadarshini are also expected to follow similar path.
There are some important aspects in these cabs, which make them safer for women. All these cabs have GPS and GPRS installed in them. Apart from these, the cabs have separate alarm systems for passengers as well as drivers, which are connected to their respective call centres. The Gulabi Auto Project has been also conceptualised in Bangalore. This is basically, an auto rickshaw service operated by women only. This is into consideration by the Government of Karnataka to encourage empowerment and safety for women. A proposal has been sent by the transport commissioner to release permits of 5000 Gulabi auto rickshaws. Incidentally, these auto rickshaws will be run only for women and by women.
Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) has some important members like Mohandas Pai and Kiran Mazumdar. They have proposed the installations of Durga alarms in public transport systems, which can be activated by women if they feel a threat while commuting. These works are surely a boost to ensure safety for women and their hassle-free communication at night.
