In a step towards implementing the She Taxi scheme, the State Road Transport Authority (RTA) and Radio Cabs will soon train 15 women to become taxi drivers, with the latter providing vehicles for three months’ training.
The decision was taken at the first committee meeting held here on Wednesday with RTA, police, Women Development and Child Welfare Department (WDCW) and bank officials.
15 drivers attend meetingApart from officials, the RTA also invited all the 47 women who had registered themselves on the department’s website to become taxi drivers.
However, only 15 showed up, but a senior RTA official said that more women are expected to approach them once things get rolling.
“Most of the women who came said that they were not confident of driving on roads, so we need to train them,” he said.
The official explained that to provide training, operative vehicles are required, and hence Radio Cabs had come forward offering to train all the 15 women who attended the meeting. Of the 15 applicants, only four had transport licences. “They will all be enrolled in the She Taxi scheme. The 11 women who have non-transport licences, will soon obtain learning licences to obtain their transport endorsements and taxi badges,” he said.
Banks ready to provide loansRepresentatives from banks who attended the meeting said that they would provide up to 55 per cent of the loan amount to women drivers under the She Taxi scheme, while the WDCW department would give another 35 per cent as subsidy. The remaining 10 per cent or so will be the margin money, or down payment needed to buy the vehicles,” an official said.