Women drive change

Anekar,40,is one of the few women drivers employed with a local taxi fleet service,Viira Cabs.

Started two years ago by Preeti Sharma Menon and Revathi Roy,Viira Cabs was aimed at financial inclusion of women and enabling them to stand on their own feet.

“Typically,financial aid for women from economically weaker sections to help them in entrepreneurship involves work such as making papad,or sewing. In case they fall ill or are unable to work,they are rendered helpless,” said Preeti.

“This profession assures them of benefits such as medical care,insurance,maternity leave etc,by which they still get paid if they are unable to work. There is job security which women deserve,especially those from lower income households,” adds Preeti.

Operating a fleet of 20 taxis,Viira Cabs has 22 women drivers. The company provides driving training in a three-and-a-half-month exhaustive course. The women are trained in self-defence,and taught basic conversation in two-three languages. They are given health and hygiene tips,and trained to cope with long hours of driving and customer care.

“When one works in small offices or runs businesses,one is relatively unaware of the outside world and how to cope with it,” said Vaishali Shevde,a cab driver with the agency for over a year.

“After being trained as a cab driver,I feel more confident and independent. Earlier,my world was restricted to Worli and Dadar,but now I travel to areas as far as Thane and Dombivali. Unlike earlier,I enjoy what I do now,” says the 33-year old single parent. For this mother of two,interacting with passengers is one of the high points of her work.

For Anekar,who belongs to the Koli community,the shift was a big challenge. “Earlier,stepping out of my house in Mahim Koliwada,I used to feel shy wearing trousers and shirt. I would leave in a saree and change into the uniform in a public toilet,” said Anekar.

But now,she says the mindset of people in the community has changed. “They are in fact proud of me,” she says.

While the company has trained over 150 women as commercial drivers,attrition is high.

“Driving a cab is still an unconventional job and sometimes pressure from family because of late hours forces women to give it up. But one has to realise stepping into such a profession has made women stronger and more self-assured,” said Preeti who shifted from a corporate job to start the cab service ‘for women by women’.