Even women taxi drivers don't feel safe

Women taxi drivers in Delhi are meant to make women feel safer, but they themselves also face harassment, prejudice and dismissal from both male drivers and passengers
Women cab drivers are meant to ensure the safety of women in cities, especially in Delhi. However, the safety of these lady drivers is also not always guaranteed – apart from biased reactions to their gender and job, they also have to suffer some of the harassment that women face daily in their commute.However, these gutsy ladies remain undaunted.
Bullied and harassed in parking lots
The women drivers say their male colleagues not only pass derogatory or dismissive remarks about them, but sometimes also try to bully them. Shanti from Sakha cab says, “Other drivers look down on us when they encounter us in parking areas. They pass comments like, ‘Ab yeh taxi bhi chalayengi toh hum kya inke kaam karenge?’ I don’t reply because I know their mentality can’t be changed. Whatever I say, it is not going to change their perception.” Satya Kashyap, a female chauffeur with G Cab, usually plies her taxi in Gurgaon and says, “My service involves mostly pick-ups and drops for a company in Gurgaon. I am so used to comments from my fellow (male) cab drivers that it hardly affects me now. Bahut se log chiddh ke poochhte hain, gaadi chala loongi ya nahin. Ek baar baithke dekho, phir bolna.” Another driver, Khushi Prajapati (21), says, “I don’t understand why people feel odd when a woman is driving a taxi. There are many female drivers around, yet, when people see us, they shout as if they have seen something surreal. ‘Woh dekho ladki taxi chala rahi hai’ – haan chala rahi hoon, toh kya ho gaya? What upsets me the most is the way these guys stare at us. Ajeeb tarah se dekhne ki aadat na jayegi inki.”
Getting slapped by a lady!
Apart from uncomfortable comments and stares, one of these female drivers was also at the receiving end of some heavy-handed treatment, literally, from a couple. Kavita*, one of the drivers in Sakha cab, says, “Some four-five months ago, I was in a South Delhi market. There was a very narrow lane and it was one-way. A couple asked me to reverse my car, but I could not because there were two cars behind me. Jab maine kaha ki aap car ko aage se nikal lo kyunki reverse nahi hoga, unhe gussa aa gaya. The lady sitting with the gentleman came and slapped me. Both of them also abused me.” Nayantara Janardhan, chief operating officer of Sakha cab, explains, “Fortunately, the entire incident was captured on CCTV. It was a class issue. The couple got offended over how someone below their social stratum could refuse to do what they asked her to.”
People follow us and try to overtake us
Shanti, who’s been a cab driver for the past two years, says one thing that has not changed is guys following them or trying to overtake them. “Ladkiyon ko cab chalate dekh ladke aur zyada badmashi karte hain. While driving, many male drivers have tried to follow me. I simply change the route or decrease the speed and allow them to go ahead,” she says. Another driver, Savita, says, “Ladke race lagane ki koshish karte hain aur jab speed kam karke unko aage badhne do, toh woh khush ho jaate hain. This is a juvenile thing to do. I just smile at their immaturity.” Sujata Jana, another female chauffeur, says that sometimes, people have even clicked her out of surprise. She says, “I am very good at understanding the intention behind what people do. When people click me, I can gauge whether it is out of surprise or just to distract us. Also, while driving, I get many people who try to overtake me. Phir chillate hain, theek se chala nahi sakte? I just keep my calm. The best way to tackle them is to ignore them.”
Even the passengers mutter
Sometimes, say these ladies, passengers feel less confident with a lady chauffeur and don’t hesitate to express their doubts. Narrating one such incident, Shanti says, “Once, this couple was in my car. The husband was a little sceptical of my driving. He murmured to his wife that he didn’t know if they would reach their destination safely. After some two-three kilometres, he himself said that the lady behind the wheel is driving well. People have to shed their pre-conceived notions, otherwise we will find it difficult to grow in our careers.” To that, Khushi adds, “The first thing that my passengers ask me is ‘aap gaadi chala lete ho?’ I don’t know if they get confused because of my height or because I am a lady!”
Inside my cab, I feel strong
“Of course this city is not safe. Sometimes, we have to do night shifts as well. In that case, I lock all the doors and windows as a precaution,” says Shanti, adding, “During our training, we were given self-defence training, which gives me greater confidence. Although I have never had to use the pepper spray, I always keep it with me. You never know when you might need it.” But Khushi says she doesn’t feel unsafe on night duty. She says, “I don’t feel unsafe as long as I’m inside the cab. The city is not safe for people who take a chance and walk out during the odd hours. But sitting inside my cab, I feel strong,” she asserts.
Security for these female chauffeurs
Nayantara says that apart from providing self-defence training, they are also planning to install a GPS device in the cabs. “During training, these female drivers are counselled and we help boost their confidence. It causes an attitudinal change in them. We ask them to stay inside the cab and at night, especially, lock the doors and windows and keep driving. We have provided them with pepper spray. By the end of this month, we will have a GPS facility installed in the cabs.” Babita Nihal, CEO of G Cabs, says, “To ensure the security of female chauffeurs, we have two panic buttons inside the cab. If our drivers are in any danger, they just have to push the two buttons and a vigilance team will be sent immediately. Apart from this, our female chauffeurs are rough and tough. They are given self-defence training. We also make sure they’re not given work at odd hours of the night.”
*Some names changed on request