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Kolkata, India, Sept, 2023 - To ensure safety of woman drivers and quick redressal to any unforeseen situation they may face, the state online cab operators’ guild has launched a 24x7 helpline number and an all-day monitored WhatsApp number where cabbies can send their live locations in case of any danger or whenever they ride out of the city. The guild will organise an awareness and sensitization camp with all registered woman cabbies to make them aware of their rights and instil a sense of quick thinking in them whenever they come across trouble in their line of work.

The exclusive helpline number for woman drivers — 8910079212 — and the immediate redressal WhatsApp number — 9804458045 — were launched on Thursday.

The move comes after a woman cabbie was allegedly molested in her car before being called to a hotel room by a middle-aged passenger on Tuesday. The passenger, an Australian national of Indian origin, was dragged to the police station by the cabbie and her colleagues after she had narrated her ordeal to the guild.

"Ours is a tough profession that requires spending a lot of time with strangers every day and that becomes challenging for women whenever they have to offer rides to passengers with ill motives or ill behaviour. Hence, it is our duty to ensure their safety and security. Tuesday’s incident was an eye-opener and, from now on, we will be more vigilant about their well-being," said Indranil Banerjee, general secretary of West Bengal Online Cab Operators’ Guild.

Banerjee said that apart from the helpline and WhatsApp numbers, a standing instruction is also being sent to all woman cabbies to share their live locations on the WhatsApp number whenever they feel they are in danger or are on an outstation ride so they can be tracked and help can be at hand if required.

There are now some 20 women who have ventured into this male-dominated profession. According to an estimate, there are 23,000-odd app-cab drivers in the city, which means the percentage of women’s representation is barely 0.1%.

"Women have just started to get into this profession. But incidents like the one on Tuesday make them and their family members scared. That often makes them doubt their decision and many end up leaving it. We don’t want this to happen and are here to make this a safer space for our woman colleagues," said Paramita Basu, one of the first woman cabbies in the city and the joint secretary of the guild.

According to transport department guidelines, panic buttons have been installed in most app cabs that passengers, as well as cabbies, can press in case of danger. "Cops and the administration are doing their best, but since incidents like this are happening, we are trying to provide safety to our women’s wing so that more women are encouraged to join the fleet," said Basu.

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Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com