Goa will finally have tourist taxis driven by women drivers. In an effort to empower women, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) is introducing premium cab services solely driven by trained women drivers. This service was announced in November 2013, but due to various reasons it has been delayed.
To start with GTDC will ply 10 taxis fitted with digital meters and GPS tracking system. The corporation intends to raise the number to 500 which will give employment to equal number of local girls and women. The 10 women drivers had undergone rigorous training in driving in the last four-to-five months.
The taxis will be operating from Panaji, Margao, Mapusa and Vasco, for the exclusive use of women passengers and families.
The service is sought to be introduced by Goa tourism development corporation (GTDC), in collaboration with Green Earth Translogistic Pvt Ltd (GETPL), a Mumbai-based company. GETPL will train the women drives and operate the service.
Taxis driven by women drivers are not a new concept and have been running successfully in major metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. Women driven cabs offer a more secure drive to women passengers.