BENGALURU: Twenty-five-year-old Sanjana T R ferries passengers on a bike taxi. She is the first woman in the city with this job-profile.
Sanjana signed up for it, with Hey Bob, because of her passion for bikes. She has been riding bikes for more than 10 years. It is her part-time gig though she works between 7.30 am and 7 pm, with a three-hour break in the middle. Her route is Koramangala to Domluru.
This diploma-holder in commercial practice says she could also use the money.
She was inspired by her brother to start riding bikes. Sanjana started with Kinectic Honda and when she wanted to try one with gears, she went with a Moped. Sanjana has a fascination for Bullets. “I tried riding one but I am too short for it,” she says.
When she heard that Hey Bob, where her brother in law works, was looking for a woman taxi driver, she jumped at the opportunity. “Not many people get to do what they love,” she says.
Her parents were not comfortable with the idea initially. The idea of the company was unfamiliar to them, but Sanjana took time to help them understand it better. She took them through a typical work day. “I explained to them how supportive the company is, with comfortable work timings and a good salary, my parents came around,” she says.
Her first ride, on her Honda Activa, was from Koramangala to The Leela Palace. “I got a good review from the pillion riders,” she says gleefully. “Women need women taxi riders to feel safe.” She has been with Hey Bob for a month and has already ferried 15 to 20 women.
Apart from riding bike taxis, Sanjana works as an MC for events and helps her mother who owns a beauty parlour.
The city’s heavy traffic does not deter Sanjana. “I focus on the road,” she says.
She urges women riders who have a passion for bikes to take this as a profession. “You can earn for yourself and stand on your own two feet.”