Kochi: She Taxi, an initiative of the state government, witnessed a considerable drop in the number of calls they are getting in a day, owing to the popularity of Uber and Ola in the city. She Taxi used to get 15-20 calls a day, but now they are getting just five or six. The growth also resulted in few She Taxi Drivers joining other platforms. Top sources confirm that new customers are reluctant to join the platform owing to the huge price variation.
She Taxi charges a minimum of Rs 200 for a 10 km ride while Uber and Ola offers less than Rs 100 for the same trip. The source added, “The competition in the taxi sector is high in the last one-and-a-half years. It’s a fact that we are not getting new customers, but we still have a customer base. Those who know the idea of women empowerment still rely on She Taxi services. Managing director of Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC) Mr P.T.M. Sunish Babu, confirmed the migration of certain drivers to Online Taxi platforms.
“We are open to the idea of women joining online taxi services. We never restricted them from taking trips form other taxi aggregators. Drivers joining other platforms shows women empowerment. We launched the service for empowering women.” He added that the KSWDC has undertaken a study on reviving the service and are awaiting a report. Meanwhile, a source close to She Taxi services claimed that authorities are mooting plans to revise the prices so as to compete with other online aggregators.
