Women ready to hop on bike cab, but with safety

LUCKNOW: Traffic had come to a screeching halt and the afternoon sun was too harsh for her when

Nikita Gurnani

opened the radio cab app on her smartphone. She was disheartened on finding that there were no cabs nearby to help her reach in time when the option of bike cab popped up.

The 26-year-old was eager to reach in time for her meeting and the bike cab could have helped her wade through heavy traffic. It even offered her low fare but

Gurnani

still felt uneasy and ultimately did not select the option. “I felt that I would not be comfortable,” she said.

While prominent radio cab services in the city have started to give their customers the option to hire bike cabs which come at rates lower than four-wheeler taxicabs and are most suitable for short distances and high traffic areas, women in the city feel that having women riders would make them feel comfortable and safe. Some said it would also empower women by opening a new job sector.

And while the service has got a thumbs-up from both men and women, users say the facility needs to bring in gender equality. “I am a daily user of taxicab service and it costs me a big monthly sum for my everyday commute. If female motorcyclists are an option for women passengers, it will make commuting more easier and economical. I won’t have any second thought on my safety,” said school teacher

Sheelam Tiwari

. “They should hire women riders since there are a number of women who cannot afford a taxicab but can move around easily on bike cab. It will also empower women in the city who need jobs. It will be a winwin situation for all,” said Kahkhashan Rizvi.

When TOI contacted a prominent radio cab service, its spokesperson said, “We do not differentiate on the basis of gender when it comes to providing entrepreneurial opportunities. We try to eliminate entry barriers for women wherever we can and extend all possible support to register with us.”