Susieben Shah, founder of Priyadarshini Taxi Service, an entrepreneur and social activist working towards women empowerment, social and economic development of the backward and the unfortunate.
In an attempt to empower women, Susieben Shah embarked the project of Priyadarshini Taxi Service where women who earn an income of less than Rs. 10000 are trained and employed to drive taxis.
Susieben Shah also holds various positions such as president of Stree Shakti Kendra, vice-president of Mumbai Mahila Congress, committee member of Women and Child Committee, Indian Merchant's Chamber, general secretary of Malabar Hill Citizens Forum.
Q. What motivated you to start an all women taxi service?
Priyadarshini Taxi Service is born in the gullies and chawls of Mumbai. As the President of Stree Shakti Kendra, a registered, 80G certified Charitable Trust, where-in the focus is to implement welfare schemes of the Govt. for the poor, old and destitute men and women of Mumbai. While visiting the community, we come across lots of young women, who with a twinkle in their eye of, wanted to be an empowered, economically self-reliant 21st Century Women, what they lacked was the opportunity a platform, a guide, a mentor to realize their dreams.
Q. How big is the team? How does a regular day look like in your office?
The team, is a very young, robust and motivated team. We are total of 12 employees, with an exception of two all women teams and an additional 50 Priyadarshini women drivers.
Q. How do you develop talent and skill in women you hire?
The spirit behind Priyadarshini Taxi Service is to create an income generating capacity in Women, which would result in better standing for the Woman in family and in the society at large.
Target Group: Women from economically backward class, minorities and weaker sections of the society.
Training: An all encompassing comprehensive training programme for 3 months. During the training programme each participant is taught how to drive a car with skill and confidence, preventive maintenance of cars and acquire knowledge on places of tourist attractions in Mumbai.
The training also imparts communication skills, self defence techniques, basic accounting principles & first aid to handle emergencies. Participants also undertake Yoga and Meditation sessions to learn how to cope with stress.
The aim of the comprehensive training programme is to ensure that the participants come out more confident, empowered and smart.
We have also developed a concept of Saheli (Buddy-System) and Haath Safai, where in the women trained are further given an exhaustive training for 1 month, after which she is equipped and confident enough to drive as a Chauffeur.
Q. What is the culture of your team?
We are the most women friendly mode of transportation for the passengers, commuters & ever-increasing women participation in the work force. Keeping that in mind, we have ensured that not only our priyadarshini drivers but also all our staff is customer friendly and take the required initiative to cater to the need of the passengers, as a result of which we are also booked by senior citizens/dependents for a day to meet their daily/weekly chores, be it shopping, buying grocery, visiting the doctor etc.
Therefore, we are not only customer friendly, but cater to the need of the Community at large. We in the next few months, we will be able to launch Handicapped friendly Taxis, driven by Priyadarshini Drivers.
Q. What challenges do your women drivers face? What measures do you take to tackle them?
While Priyadarshini women drivers are trained in skillful and efficient driving they often suffer from rash driving by their male counterparts, with a view to make them feel slighted & uncomfortable. The pathetic condition, pot-hole riddled roads, add to their woes!
Last but one of the most important aspect is the non-availability of decent, clean bathrooms for women on the road. With having to spend 10-12 hours on the road, bathrooms are a must. But since we ply from the Airport, they atleast make one trip a day to the Airport to use the bathrooms. Yet against all odds, Priyadarshini Drivers are driving on the roads of Mumbai for the past three years.
Q. What makes your services stand out besides the fact that it's women friendly?
India is a growing tourism hub. But unfortunately, there is also a steady rise in the levels of harassment and eve teasing of women tourists, who are more vulnerable to this social evil. Priyadarshini Taxi Service has emerged as a safer and more suitable alternative for women tourists. Surely our Priyadarshini Drivers are true depiction of “Atithi Devo Bhava!”
Our service is essentially a women oriented service. Our services are also used by Call Centres, Corporates, Travel Agents, Hotels, etc. for their women employees and customers, who feel more comfortable if the taxi is driven by a woman. Our service assures them with the much needed safety, security and comfort.
Q. What is your vision for the company? What are your expansion plans?
At Priyadarshini Taxi Service (PTS), we have perfected the art of motivating women to be skillful and efficient drivers and thus to take up driving as an option to earn a dignified livelihood. Largely, PTS focuses on the independence and economic empowerment of women.
It is our mission that while we are 100 strong by the end of this financial year, we will make our presence felt pan India and be a success story by adding a minimum of 500 only women driven taxis in next 5 years in the metropolitan cities of India.
Q. How do you think it has impacted lives of your women drivers?
Priyadarshini Taxi Service focuses on the economic independence & empowerment of women. As result of which there is definite shift from the patriarchal to matriarchal family, where in the women, equipped with economic independence is involved in the decision making process in the family. When a woman earns, it is an accepted norm that it goes toward better health, food, education...in short a better standard of living of the family. Many of our drivers are the sole bread earners of their families .
Priyadarshini drivers take the car home and park in the vicinity of their residence. As a result of which there is a tremendous social prestige for the women.
Q. Any fun taxi ride story would you like to share from your team?
The focus & the USP of Priyadarshini is women drivers & not so much on the passenger, in short our services are open to all men & women, but yes, 80% of our clientele is women. But a very encouraging trend is that men also patronise our services. A very interesting anecdote, which I feel is worth sharing.
It was brought to the notice by my call center that a team of three gentlemen every Friday-night would hire our services, unfailingly. I was a little amused, spoke to one of the Gentlemen, to find out as to why he was patronising Priyadarshini, a women driven taxi service, when so many male driven options were available to him. To my great surprise, the answer was that after enjoying every friday evening with his friends and colleagues and with a few drinks down, he & his colleagues would feel safe with their belongings like wallet, Mobile & computer with the a women driver rather than their male counterparts. Interesting & very encouraging isnt it?
Q. How can interested women contact you?
The women interested in training in skillful & efficient driving, with a view to take us as a viable & dignified profession should call Stree Shakti Kendra 022-23899238 (11.00 am to 7.00 pm) Alternatively could call + 91 99309 99491
Should you want to join the fleet as Priyadarshini Driver then could call our 24x7 call center no. 022 433339999
Here's some pictures of our team:
Interview and article by: Megha Dadarwal