Sakhi, a women-only auto aggregator, launched its service in Bengaluru on February 14; it has so far onboarded 50 autos, all driven by women drivers.
Vinutha, a disabled person in her thirties, has been driving an auto for the past two years for a living. A former employee at a garment factory, she chose to drive auto as a profession for the love of driving. But the experience has not always been pleasant.
“There have been times when male passengers misbehaved with me,” said Vinutha, who expressed joy at being a part of Sakhi, a newly launched aggregator which offers auto rides by women, for women.
Sakhi launched its service in Bengaluru on February 14. It has so far onboarded 50 autos, all driven by women drivers. Launched with the aim of making auto-rides more comfortable and stress-free for women, the platform takes orders only from women passengers.
A stress-free alternative
“There are many instances where I have come back home late – sometimes while doing my internship, other times after meeting friends. I always take an auto and nothing untoward has happened so far, but there is always stress and a sense of caution at the back of my mind. I always make sure someone from my family or friends tracks my live location in such instances,” said Amruta P., a law student from Bengaluru.
She feels platforms like Sakhi could be a stress-free option for women passengers, especially during odd hours.
“Women feel that they have to stay alert whenever they are travelling. I felt it was long overdue that we get rid of that anxiety. That is why I started Sakhi,” said Krishnavi Parekh, founder of the start-up.
Women-only model
Passengers are charged ₹50 for the first 2 km and ₹20 per km after that. While all the income currently goes to the drivers, the start-up may consider taking a commission in the future, said Ms. Parekh.
While the initiative differentiates itself through the women-only model, concerns prevail about acceptance and uptake, given how most users are accustomed to existing ride-hailing platforms.
“Most of us are used to on-demand ride-hailing and existing services like Namma Yatri, Uber, and Ola. If the number of women drivers on the platform is low, the availability of drivers as and when required could be an issue. If a driver is not immediately available, most people will look for alternate options,” said Jaya Rajeev, a resident of Bengaluru.
However, Ms. Parekh pointed out that it is still early days. Confident that the numbers will rise in the coming days, she speaks of an overwhelming response on social media handles and the direct booking number.
“Changing the user behaviour was a challenge that I thought of early on. But we have been receiving a good response so far. People have reached out to us saying they want to book it on a subscription basis for two-three weeks for their commute to and from office,” she said.
Sense of empowerment
Drivers said they received close to 20 bookings per week via the platform during the pilot.
Noting that similar initiatives in cities like Gurugram received a good response, Ms. Parekh further added that many women feel a sense of empowerment and sisterhood when they are empowering other women.
“The comfort that women have with other women, I think it may be difficult to walk away from that once one experiences it,” she said.
The bookings are currently taken through the start-up’s website and a direct WhatsApp number 6361933364. The team plans to launch an app in a month.
source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)