The pilot service of the State Government-run 24X7 safe taxi service owned and operated by women entrepreneurs for women travellers, will be launched on November 19.
Titled ‘She Taxi’, this is the first off-campus project initiated by The Gender Park, set up by the Department of Social Justice.
There will be an initial fleet of five cars, to be scaled up to 100 in three months, and there are plans to extend the service to Kochi and Kozhikode in the next phase.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, is partnering with the Gender Park as the official supplier of the customised pink and white cabs, which will be kitted up with the best available automobile technology including GPS, precision metering systems, personal and emergency alert systems, in-car entertainment and other luxuries. The car-manufacturer will also help provide training to women drivers at the Maruti Driving School.
Gender Park CEO said that they had developed a business model for the ‘She Taxi’ which projects a monthly income of at least Rs 20,000 for the women entrepreneurs. ‘’We have factored in every possibility and still believe it will be possible to earn around Rs 20,000 a month for an estimated 8 hours of operation everyday for 22 days a month. We are also thinking of maximising revenues for these women through adverts on the sides of the cars, in-car LCD systems for streaming ads and so on,’’ the Gender Park CEO said.
The fleet operations and marketing will be handled by Technopark-based Rain Concert Technologies Ltd which is setting up a 24-hour call centre for the purpose. The taxis will have round-the-clock access to the control room and they will be monitored and assisted by the police.
The Gender Park will identify the beneficiaries and assist the women in securing low-interest loans from the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC).
It will also arrange for health insurance and provide self-defence training for the women drivers.