Bike taxi for women, by women in Chennai

CHENNAI: Women commuters will now be able to book bike taxis driven by women riders at the tap of a button, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and Rapido have launched women bike taxi service for last mile connectivity.
Around 50 women bike taxis will be available at five metro stations Thousand Lights, Teynampet, Egmore, Saidapet and Government Estate. Commuters can download an app. "The service will be extended to all metro stations based on demand," a release from CMRL said.
"This initiative will create employment opportunities while providing a reliable transportation option for metro riders, particularly women," the release added.
The service has been launched at a time when bike taxis are becoming popular because they are affordable compared to the high fares charged by autos and cabs. It can also speed up their commute on congested roads during peak hours.
Men can also book these bike taxis, an official said,
"I would book a woman bike taxi as it is comparatively safe to travel especially late in the evening. Though all bike taxis have been safe, there is always this small fear that something might go wrong. With women captains, we won't think much," said R Sharadha, a commuter from Egmore. Rajesh Chaturvedi, director, systems and operations, CMRL, launched the service at Nandanam metro on Thursday.
A year ago, CMRL introduced Uber Auto and Rapido bike taxi services in 22 metro stations. At present, metro stations have feeder services like MTC small buses, CMRL bicycles, smartbike rental bicycles and e-bikes in many stations.
Since metrorail operations began in 2015, CMRL has launched several feeder services for last mile connectivity but they were not a success.
Sivasubramaniam Jayaraman, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP-India), said CMRL should also integrate other modes such as walking, cycling and feeder buses and offer many options for last mile connectivity. "Bike taxis have emerged as a popular alternative transportation in tier 1 and 2 cities. It will be good if e-bikes are introduced. However, by offering a range of last-mile connectivity options, more people will be encouraged to use public transport.