Five drivers, chosen from 30, finish phase-I training

The Shetaxi service will be operational in the city from mid-January next year. Initially, as many as five cabs will run the service in Kozhikode and the number will be increased later, Faisal Muneer, regional manager of the Women’s Development Corporation told The Hindu.

The five women drivers, chosen from a list of 30 applicants through a strict selection process involving a driving test, interview, and physical fitness test, have already completed the first phase of training. The next level of preparation will involve customer service training, soft-skill training, and lessons in self-defence.

Success in two cities

“Everything will be completed within two weeks and the drivers will be ready to take off,” said K.L. Ligin, project officer of the service.

The Shetaxi service is being introduced in Kozhikode after its successful run in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The 24X7 service is exclusively for women. Male passengers are allowed if they are accompanied by a woman or are travelling with family.

The fleet has advanced safety and security features. The cabs are also programmed to be demobilised upon directions from the 24X7 emergency call centres to ensure the safety of the passengers and the driver. “What we have tried to ensure with utmost care is secure and responsible travel for women,” said P.T.M. Sunish, Chief Operating Officer of Gender Park.

After the recent Uber cab rape case in Delhi, the State’s Shetaxi service, which has so far safely ferried over 20,000 passengers since its launch last year, had come into the focus of the entire country, said Dr. Sunish. According to him, Minister for Social Justice M.K. Muneer had already expressed his willingness to present the proposal before the Union ministry to explore the possibilities of making use of the project at the national level.

“Everything, including the logo of the project, is registered and copy righted but we are ready to share the business model if any State or other agencies are interested,” he said. According o him, there were inquires from various cities, including Bengaluru and Chennai, regarding the project. “The Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has already replicated the project,” he said.